In brief
SiLaw Group Family Lawyers, a South Surrey firm at 3108 Croydon Drive, Suite 201, acts for New Westminster families by phone, video and in person and appears at the New Westminster Law Courts at Begbie Square, 651 Carnarvon Street, where the region's Supreme Court family registry for divorce and property division and the local Provincial Court for parenting, support and protection orders sit in the same building. Most separations still resolve by agreement or mediation. The first 30 minutes are free, in English or Punjabi.
Every other location page on this site has to explain that Supreme Court family matters mean a trip to New Westminster. If you live in New Westminster, that trip is downtown. The Law Courts at Begbie Square, 651 Carnarvon Street, are where BC Supreme Court family matters for this region are heard, including the divorce order itself and the division of family property and debt. SiLaw Group Family Lawyers is a boutique family law and mediation firm with one office, on Croydon Drive in South Surrey, and we act for New Westminster families, appearing at the New Westminster Law Courts when a file calls for it.
Living in the region's family Supreme Court seat
Two levels of court handle family law in BC, and New Westminster is unusual: both sit in the same building.
- Supreme Court matters, meaning the divorce order itself and the division of family property and debt, are heard at the New Westminster Law Courts at Begbie Square, 651 Carnarvon Street. This is the registry serving families across the region, including Surrey.
- Provincial Court matters, meaning parenting orders, child and spousal support, and family protection orders, are also heard at the Law Courts: New Westminster has its own Provincial Court location in the same building at 651 Carnarvon Street.
For most of our clients the courthouse is a destination. For you it is part of downtown. That changes nothing about the law, but it does make the logistics of a court date simpler.
A South Surrey firm, across the river
Our office is at 3108 Croydon Drive, Suite 201 in South Surrey. New Westminster sits directly across the Fraser River from Surrey, and we bridge that gap the practical way: consultations and most meetings by phone or video, in-person meetings at our office when you want them, and appearances at the Law Courts when your matter needs a courtroom. We do not have a New Westminster office, and this page won't pretend we do.
What we help New Westminster families with
Separation and divorce, whether contested or uncontested; parenting arrangements; child support and spousal support; property and debt division; common-law separation; cohabitation, marriage and separation agreements; and family violence and protection orders. Because Sandy Sihota is an accredited family law mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator, mediation and arbitration happen in-house rather than by referral, and over video they work the same from New Westminster as from anywhere else.
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ
Separation raises questions you want answered precisely, and precision comes easier in the language you think in. We advise clients in Punjabi as well as English, from the first free consultation onward. Details on our Punjabi services page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do people keep saying family cases are "heard in New Westminster"?
Because the BC Supreme Court registry for this region sits at the Law Courts at Begbie Square, 651 Carnarvon Street. Divorce orders and the division of family property for families across the region, including Surrey, run through that building. If you live in New Westminster, the region's family Supreme Court is your local courthouse.
Does New Westminster have its own Provincial Court?
Yes. Provincial Court sits at the New Westminster Law Courts, 651 Carnarvon Street, the same building as the Supreme Court, and hears parenting, child and spousal support, and family protection order matters.
Your office is in South Surrey. Is that a problem for a New Westminster file?
No. The working parts of a family file, advice, disclosure, negotiation and drafting, happen by phone, video and email wherever you live, and if your matter needs a courtroom, that courtroom is in your city, not ours. In-person meetings happen at our Croydon Drive office when you prefer them.
The courthouse is right downtown. Should I just go to court?
Proximity doesn't change the math. Most separations resolve by negotiated agreement or mediation without a court file being opened. Court is the tool for cases where agreement isn't possible or safety requires an order, and if yours is one of them, we represent you at the Law Courts.
Talk to a family lawyer about your New Westminster matter, free
The first 30 minutes are free, by phone, video, or at our South Surrey office. Book a free consultation or call (778) 381-9977.
This page is legal information, not legal advice.
