What Is a Family Case Conference in British Columbia Provincial Court?

If you have a Provincial Court date in a family matter, you may have heard it called a family case conference. The Provincial Court Family Rules use a different name, and knowing the right term helps when you read your court papers or speak to registry staff.

This article explains what leads up to that first court date, what you may need to complete beforehand, and how to prepare. It does not predict what a judge will decide in your case.

This article covers the law of British Columbia.

The name: family management conference

The Provincial Court Family Rules refer to the first court date as the family management conference. Older guides and conversations may call it a family case conference, and rule numbers in older guides may not match the current rules, so check the current version of the rules or ask registry staff.

The Supreme Court uses a different process with a different name, the judicial case conference. If your papers come from the Supreme Court, see our article on that court's conference instead.

What the Provincial Court can and cannot decide

The Provincial Court has general jurisdiction under the Family Law Act, subject to the Divorce Act and certain limits. It cannot make orders under Part 5 (Property Division), except respecting a companion animal, so property and debt division between spouses goes to the Supreme Court.

For decisions about guardianship, parenting arrangements or contact, the parties and the court must consider only the best interests of the child, including the child's health and emotional well-being, views, relationships, history of care, need for stability, and the effect of family violence.

How a case reaches that first court date

Outside early resolution registries, a party starts a case by filing and serving an Application about a Family Law Matter in Form 3. In an early resolution registry, a party must first file a Notice to Resolve a Family Law Matter in Form 1 and give a copy to each other party, and the application follows only after the early resolution requirements are met.

The applicant must ensure personal service by an adult who is not a party, and that person completes a certificate of service in Form 7. A respondent must file a reply within 30 days after being served. A party who files no reply within 30 days is not entitled to receive notice of any part of the proceedings.

A reply to a child or spousal support application also requires a Form 4 financial statement.

Parenting After Separation before your first court date

You must complete a Parenting After Separation (PAS) course before your first court date unless you have an official exemption. It applies to applications about parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support, companion animal property or protection orders.

• The course is free and online, with options in English, French and Punjabi, plus a version for Indigenous families.
• You receive a Certificate of Completion to give to the Provincial Court.
• Exemptions include finishing PAS within the last two years, matters that are only about a companion animal, spousal support with no children, or every child being 19 or older.
• You may also be exempt if you cannot access the course online or in your language, if literacy or a serious medical condition prevents it, or if all parties file a consent order.

A Family Justice Counsellor can explain exemptions and how to register.

If you disagree with a Provincial Court order

If you disagree with a final Provincial Court order, appeals to the Supreme Court have a 40-day time limit counted from the day after the order is made. Interim orders of the Provincial Court cannot be appealed to the Supreme Court in this way, and an application to vary is the route instead. A lawyer can confirm which applies to you.

How to prepare

• Read your application or reply carefully and note every date on it.
• Finish the PAS course early and keep your certificate, unless you are exempt.
• Prepare your Form 4 financial statement if support is involved.
• If you are asking to change an existing final order, file a copy of that order or written agreement.
• Write a short, calm summary of what you are asking for and why it serves the child.
• Call Family Justice Centre services at 1-844-747-3963 for free legal information and referrals.

Frequently asked questions