- Family Justice Centres offer free help with parenting arrangements, guardianship, support, contact with a child and property division for a companion animal.
- Government and legal-sector sites are usually more reliable than forums or social media, but general information does not replace advice about your own facts.
- The Law Society of BC developed a Family Unbundled Legal Services toolkit, available through Courthouse Libraries BC.
A separation raises questions fast: where will the children live, who pays what, and what do you file in court. Search results are full of answers, and not all of them are accurate or written for British Columbia.
This article explains how to tell a trustworthy source from a risky one, what the Family Justice services can do for you, and where Clicklaw fits in. Online information explains how things generally work. Your own facts decide what applies to you.
This article covers the law of British Columbia.
How to judge a family law website
Family law differs from province to province, and even from country to country. A site that gives you tidy rules without saying which law it relies on may be describing somewhere else entirely.
- Does it clearly say it is about British Columbia?
- Is it run by a government body, court, legal aid organization or legal-sector group?
- Does it name the law it relies on, such as the Family Law Act?
- Is it recent, and does it tell you to confirm details with the source?
- Does it avoid promising results?
Family Justice services
The Province's Family Justice Centre services are free to parents and other family members dealing with separation or divorce. They cover help with parenting arrangements, guardianship, child and spousal support, contact with a child, and property division for a companion animal.
They also provide a needs assessment, legal information with referrals for advice, referrals to community agencies, safety referrals to VictimLinkBC or police, and information on Provincial Court processes. If child support is not being received, they can refer you to the BC Family Maintenance Agency.
If you prefer to talk to someone, the contact line is 1-844-747-3963, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Services are also available by telephone and video conference for families separated by distance.
Clicklaw and other directories
Clicklaw is commonly used in British Columbia as a starting point for public legal information. It is useful when you are not sure which organization to turn to. Read what each page says about who it is for and when it was updated, since details such as programs and eligibility can change.
Directories point you to services; they do not decide your case. If a page describes a program, confirm with that program directly before you rely on it.
What each source is good for
| Source | Good for |
|---|---|
| Family Justice Centre services | Separation help, needs assessment, referrals, and a free Parenting After Separation course |
| Justice Access Centres | Free family justice services and mediation in a neutral, informal setting |
| Family Law Centres | Free legal help for family violence survivors who cannot afford a lawyer |
| Law Society of BC unbundling toolkit | Sample retainer agreements for a lawyer helping with part of a matter, available through Courthouse Libraries BC |
| Clicklaw | Finding BC public legal information and the organizations behind it |
Some referred services are based on financial need, so you may be asked about income.
What to do next
- Write down your top three questions so you can look for targeted answers.
- Bookmark only sources that clearly describe British Columbia.
- Contact a Family Justice Centre if you want a human point of contact.
- If safety is a concern, ask about safety referrals. A court may also make a protection order when family violence is likely to occur and the other person is an at-risk family member.
- Book advice with a lawyer for anything that affects children, support or property, since online general information cannot assess your facts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clicklaw legal advice?
No. It is a place to find public legal information and organizations, and general information cannot assess your own facts. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer.
What is the Family Justice Centre phone number?
The toll-free number is 1-844-747-3963, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Telephone and video conference services are available for families separated by distance.
Can I do a divorce online?
Family Justice Centres provide the Online Divorce Assistant for joint uncontested divorces. It only works where both spouses agree on all issues.
Are the free services really free for everyone?
Family Justice Centre services are described as free, but some referred services are based on financial need, so you may be asked about income. Lawyer advice depends on your situation, and staff otherwise refer you elsewhere.
Sources
- BC Gov News – Attorney General release, July 8, 2026 — news.gov.bc.ca
- Family Law Act, SBC 2011, c 25, Part 9, s. 183 — bclaws.gov.bc.ca
- Province of BC – Family Justice Centre services — www2.gov.bc.ca
- Province of BC – Mediation at Justice Access Centres — www2.gov.bc.ca
- Law Society of BC – Unbundling legal services — lawsociety.bc.ca
Links go to official government, court and regulator pages. The law changes — confirm you are reading the current version.
This is a family law question
An uncontested divorce with us is from $2,126.88, tax included. Third-party fees are extra.