Family law case applications and forms now available online

As part of B.C.’s plan to modernize access to court services, a new online platform has been launched for British Columbians to complete and file family law case applications.

B.C.’s Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, Grace Lore, said prior to having this service, filing family law matters such as protection orders and child support, often required a person taking time off work to go to a court registry, and the system often created barriers for many British Columbians.

“This new service provides and accessible and convenient option for individuals and families, as they can file their forms online,” said Lore.

The service allows people to fill out and file forms online, including those for child support, parenting agreements, case management and protection orders.

The province notes the service uses a trauma-informed design and functionality which includes safety screening, a quick exit button, safety checks throughout and referrals to additional resources. The program also saves information as the user progresses through the questions so if they need to pause for any reason and return at a later time, the completed parts of the form would be included.

“This innovative use of technology will benefit people who might have otherwise found it challenging to access the family law system,” said Lore.

“This online service has been specially designed to assist those who have experienced trauma and is part of our ongoing work to help people who are facing gender-based violence. It has been designed in consultation with front-line workers who support victims of violence and provides a safer alternative for people in dangerous situations to file for a protection order without having to attend a court registry in person.”

While the new online service is available for any who wish to use it, people can still bring their forms to a registry and file in person.