British Columbians can now complete and file provincial family law case applications online as part of B.C.’s plan to modernize access to court services.

“Filing family law matters, such as protection orders and child support in Provincial Court, often means taking time off work and having to travel to a court registry, which creates barriers for many British Columbians,” said Grace Lore, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “This new service provides an accessible and convenient option for individuals and families, as they can complete and file their forms online.”

The online service allows people to digitally fill out and file forms by answering simple questions for many family matters, including child support, parenting arrangements, case management and protection orders.

Because of its trauma-informed design and functionality, the service also includes safety screening, a quick exit button, safety checks throughout and referrals to additional resources. Information is also saved as the user progresses through the questions in case they need to pause and return to finish a form later.

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

People can continue to bring forms in person to a registry to file. To access this new service, visit: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/apply-for-family-order/

Quote:

Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie of the Provincial Court –

“The Provincial Court of British Columbia strives to serve the public by providing an accessible, fair, efficient and innovative system of justice. The court engaged with the government on this service, as this type of technology innovation enhances meaningful public access to the court and its processes.”

Quick Facts:

• British Columbians fill out and file an average of 21,000 applications annually for Provincial Court family law cases.
• The online service is part of the Provincial Court Family Rules implementation. The rules implementation helps families reduce conflict so they can work toward earlier resolutions outside the court process, make court processes and forms user-friendly and make each court appearance meaningful and productive. 

Learn More:

To learn more about family cases in Provincial Court, visit: https://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/types-of-cases/family-matters

To learn more about how government is modernizing court services, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/about-bc-justice-system/justice-reform-initiatives/digital-transformation-strategy-bc-courts.pdf/