| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
To get started right away, read Family Law 101 for a quick and easy introduction to family law and divorce law in British Columbia. Read New Rules 101 for a review of the new rules and forms for Supreme Court family law actions. This website, Canada's largest and most complete source of free information about family law and divorce law, is maintained by a lawyer as a public service and offers up to date information about the law and the legal system in British Columbia. If you're not sure where to find something from the menus, check the Site Map & Index or browse through the site overview below. The author does not accept clients from this website; this website is maintained solely as a public legal education project. If you're looking to hire a lawyer, links to the websites of many British Columbia family law lawyers and law firms are available in the Resources & Links section.
Last Site Update:
Thursday 19 August 2010
Last Blog Update:
Thursday 26 August 2010
Please support this site by visiting our advertisers' websites. Site Overview Family Law 101 is a basic but thorough introduction to family law and the court system in British Columbia intended for people who are new to the court system or new to Canada. New Rules 101 offers a comprehensive survey of the Supreme Court Family Rules and offers links to the new rules and court forms, a digest of the most important features of the new rules, and print resources on the new rules for download. The Legal System provides a general introduction to the fundamentals of our legal system and a practical how-to guide to the court system. It discusses the court system, the sources of the law (including the common law and statute law), your relationship with your lawyer and how to hire and fire a lawyer, how to start and defend a law suit, and how to start and defend a chambers application. Sample documents and template forms for starting an action, defending an action and bringing an application are available for free download. Alternatives to Court surveys a number of ways to resolve your dispute without having to go to court including negotiation, mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. Children deals with the most important legal issues about the care and control of children after a relationship ends, including tips on parenting after separation, the general rules about custody, guardianship and access, and how to make changes to court orders dealing with these issues. It also covers the interests and rights that grandparents and other non-parents might have to a child. Child Support discusses the basic rules about child support and children's special expenses, the Child Support Guidelines and the exceptions to the Guidelines, how to make changes to an order for child support, how to enforce the payment of support, and what to do if you're in arrears of support. This section also has some handy calculators for child support and the sharing of children's special expenses. Spousal Support discusses the basic rules about spousal support, the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, the different kinds of spousal support orders the court can make, how to make changes to an order for spousal support, how to enforce the payment of support, and what to do if you're in arrears of support. Family Assets covers the basic rules about the property division for married spouses and unmarried couples. It talks about how different kinds of assets are dealt with, like the family home, RRSPs, pensions and so forth, when assets are divded equally or unequally, and how you can protect your assets following separation. Family Agreements deals with the basic rules about cohabitation agreements (living together agreements), marriage agreements (prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements) and separation agreements. It also discusses how to make changes to family law agreements and how to enforce family law agreements. Marriage & Divorce reviews the fundamentals of valid and invalid marriages, the basics of separation and things to keep in mind when separating, and the rules about divorce. This section also includes a step by step overview of the do-it-yourself divorce process and provides samples and templates for the court forms used in that process for free download. Same-Sex Couples discusses how family law applies to gays and lesbians in married and unmarried relationships, and talks about adoption, children and child support, spousal support, the division of assets, and the rules relating to marriage and divorce. Unmarried Couples deals with how family law applies to couples who aren't married, including people in common-law relationships and people who barely had a relationship at all but still qualify as parents. It talks about what a common-law relationship means, how a couple qualify as a common-law couple, and how common-law relationships end. Other Family Law Issues discusses a wide range of other issues, including adoption, wills and estates, parental support, the naming children and changes of name on divorce, enforcing orders and agreements, paternity issues, special considerations in family law for aboriginal people; and, family violence. Back to the top of this chapter. Resources Overview Site Map & Index features a detailed, cross-referenced index to all of the topics covered in this website, a clickable map of the main sections and chapters of this site, a table of the cases discussed in this site, and a list of the sample documents and template court forms available in this site. If you're not sure where to find something, look here first! Legislation contains a summary of the most important statutes dealing with family law issues, including the provincial Family Relations Act and the federal Divorce Act, and most of the other laws and regulations important to family law like the Name Act and the Child Support Guidelines. Resources & Links contains a listing of off- and on-line resources related to family law and divorce law including academic and practical reference books, the federal and provincial legislation on family law, relevant government ministries and agencies, social and pro bono legal organizations, lawyers' websites and lawyer listing services, and much more. This section also features links to the rules of court and templates of common court forms for free download. Definitions has plain-language definitions for more than 400 common legal words and phrases, from the meaning of ab initio to the legal definition of youth. These definitions are a much expanded version of the pop-up definitions available throughout this site. How do I ? answers common questions about family law, divorce law and the court process and covers a wide range of topics including preparing for separation, addressing the court, drafting an affidavit, and becoming a lawyer. Back to the top of this chapter. Site Navigation
The Legal System ·
Alternatives to Court · Children · Child Support · Spousal Support Resources Menu
Site Map & Index · Legislation · Resources & Links · Definitions · Feedback
Please ensure you take the time to read these important legal notices. |
