British Columbia Family Justice Centres: Services for Separation

When a relationship ends, you may need answers about parenting time, support, guardianship and property before you can afford to hire anyone. Family Justice Centres are a public service designed for that stage.

This article explains what the centres provide, who can use them, how mediation works there, and how to get in touch.

This article covers the law of British Columbia.

Who can use a Family Justice Centre

Family Justice Centres offer free services to parents and other family members dealing with separation or divorce. Help is available with parenting arrangements, guardianship, child and spousal support, contact with a child, and property division for a companion animal.

Services are also available by telephone and video conference for families separated by distance.

What the centres provide

• A needs assessment, and legal information with referrals for advice.
• Referrals to community agencies, and safety referrals to VictimLinkBC or police.
• A referral to the BC Family Maintenance Agency if child support is not being received.
• A free Parenting After Separation course.
• Information on Provincial Court processes.
• The Online Divorce Assistant for joint uncontested divorces.

The Online Divorce Assistant only works where both spouses agree on all issues. If you do not agree on everything, ask staff about next steps.

Mediation and negotiation

Family Justice Counsellors are accredited mediators who provide mediation. Child support disputes can use facilitated negotiation with a child support officer. Under section 10(2) of the Family Law Act, family justice counsellors can provide information about a family law dispute, family dispute resolution on guardianship, parenting arrangements, contact with a child and child and spousal support, and referrals.

Mediation at Justice Access Centres is a neutral, informal setting where a trained mediator helps you discuss issues without giving legal advice. You may be referred to a private mediator if a counsellor is not trained to mediate your problem, or to child protection mediation or notice to mediate.

Family dispute resolution professionals must assess whether family violence may be present and, if so, consider how it may affect a party's safety and ability to negotiate a fair agreement. If mediation is not suitable, staff help with next steps or referrals.

Limits and special situations

If you need protection from family violence, a court may make a protection order where family violence is likely to occur and the other person is an at-risk family member. It does not need to be part of any other proceeding. Unless the court orders otherwise, a protection order expires one year after the date it is made. The court must consider risk factors such as history of family violence, whether it is repetitive or escalating, and recent separation or intention to separate. Ask staff about safety referrals, and speak with a lawyer about your options.

Family Law Centres are law clinics funded by the Province and delivered by Legal Aid BC. They give free, trauma-informed legal help to family violence survivors who cannot afford a lawyer. To be eligible, you must be experiencing family violence and have at least one additional eligible legal issue. Parenting arrangements were added as an eligible issue as of June 22, 2026. The centres prioritize survivors who have fled an abusive partner within the past six months, and common issues include protection orders, denial of parenting time, child support, spousal support, property division and divorce. There are in-person offices in Surrey and Victoria, and virtual services in several other communities, including Abbotsford, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. How this applies to you depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.

What to do next

• Call 1-844-747-3963 between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday.
• Say whether you want information, mediation, a referral or help with a specific issue such as child support.
• Have your children's names and birth dates, your separation date and any existing orders or agreements ready.
• Be ready to answer questions about your income in case a referral depends on financial need.
• Tell staff right away if you have safety concerns.
• Get legal advice before you sign any agreement.

If you want a lawyer for only part of your matter, ask about unbundling. This means a lawyer provides legal services for part of your legal matter, and you and the lawyer decide which tasks each of you will do.

Frequently asked questions