Pathways | Family Justice Services (FJSD)

Family Justice Services (FJSD)

Family / Parenting and Legal

Provided by Government of British Columbia

Family Justice Services Division delivers services that promote resolution of family disputes within the family justice system.

Family Justice Services Division (FJSD) delivers services that promote the timely and just resolution of family disputes within a comprehensive family justice system. The following services are offered:

Family Justice Centres: Operates across the province. These centres are staffed by Family Justice Counsellors who can assist you with issues related to separation or divorce. They provide services free of charge to parents and other family members. Learn more about Family Justice Centre services or see the Family Justice Centres brochure for more information.

Justice Access Centres: Provides help with family and civil law issues such as separation, divorce, income security, employment, housing or debt.

Dispute Resolution: Division staff provide information on the rights and responsibilities of people who are separating or divorcing about guardianship, family maintenance, alternatives for resolving disputes, and parenting arrangements and contact with a child.

Family Justice Counsellors: Accredited family mediators who provide mediation and conciliation services primarily to people of modest means. FJCs also help their clients to prepare provincial court documents. There is no charge for their services.

Child Support Officers: Works in Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres and offer specialized assistance in child support and spousal support matters, and help parents to navigate the procedures involved to get and change child support and spousal support orders and agreements.

Parenting after Separation (PAS) program: Offers free online courses for B.C. parents and other family members who are dealing with separation or divorce and facing decisions about guardianship, parenting arrangements, contact, child support and spousal support. They take about three (3) hours to complete. Parents must complete a Parenting After Separation course before they can move forward with an application about a family law matter in Provincial Court.
Individuals can choose to take Parenting After Separation for Indigenous Families or Parenting After Separation (in Punjabi and English). Both courses provide information that helps parents make careful and informed decisions about their separation and to ensure decisions are based on the best interest of the child/youth, including:

The impact of separation on you and your child/youth
Strategies to help your family adjust to change
Effective ways you and your child/youth’s other parent can communicate
How to keep your child/youth out of the middle of conflict
Options for resolving family disputes, including mediation, counselling and the court process

Early Resolution Registries: In Surrey and Victoria, the Provincial Family Court is an Early Resolution Registry. The Early Resolution Process applies to issues under the Family Law Act. It introduces early resolution requirements for family law matters in provincial court in those designated registries. The process aims to build knowledge, support problem solving and help parties prepare for next steps. For more information contact the Langley Family Justice Centre, Surrey Justice Access Centre, or Victoria Justice Access Centre, which all provide Early Resolution Registry services. If possible, also talk to a lawyer, who can help understand the best process for a particular dispute.

Family Justice Registries In Port Coquitlam, Surrey and Victoria, the Provincial Family Court is an Early Resolution Registry. The Early Resolution Process applies to issues under the Family Law Act. It introduces early resolution requirements for family law matters in provincial court in those designated registries. The process aims to build knowledge, support problem solving and help parties prepare for next steps. For more information contact the Langley Family Justice Centre, Maple Ridge Family Justice Centre, Port Coquitlam Family Justice Centre, Surrey Justice Access Centre, or Victoria Justice Access Centre, which all provide Early Resolution Registry services. If possible, also talk to a lawyer, who can help understand the best process for a particular dispute.

Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content...

Service is available in English.

Cost: No cost