Trending Family Law Issues
Plain-language insights on family law in British Columbia from the SiLaw Group team.
Divorce Legal Help in Vancouver: Costs & Options
Facing divorce in Vancouver or Surrey? See what legal help costs in BC: free consultation, $2,200 flat-fee desk-order divorce, and Legal Aid options.
May 6, 2026 · 4 min read
Leave to Appeal in BC: When Do You Need It?
Not every BC judgment can be appealed as of right. Learn when you need leave to appeal, the Form 4 process, and what happens if leave is denied.
Feb 5, 2026 · 5 min read
Getting a Free Consultation with a Family Lawyer
What happens in a free family law consultation in BC: how long it takes, what to bring, and how to book a free 30-minute session with a Surrey lawyer.
Oct 7, 2025 · 4 min read
Uncontested vs Contested Divorce: Key Differences
Uncontested vs contested divorce in BC: differences in cost, timeline and process, plus how desk-order divorces work in the BC Supreme Court.
Sep 22, 2025 · 3 min read
Who Pays Legal Costs in BC Family Law Cases?
Who pays legal costs in BC family law? How costs work in Supreme Court vs Provincial Court, the substantially successful test, and what awards cover.
Sep 16, 2025 · 4 min read
Common Law in BC: The 2-Year Rule & Your Rights
Living together two years in a marriage-like relationship gives you a married spouse's rights in BC. See the factors courts use and when the rule differs.
Nov 20, 2024 · 4 min read
Importance of Disclosure in Family Law Matters
Financial disclosure is mandatory in BC family cases under the Family Law Act. See what documents you must exchange and the penalties for hiding assets.
Nov 20, 2024 · 3 min read
Child Support for Adult Children in BC
Do BC parents owe child support for adult part-time students? What 2024 BCSC 139 says about illness, education and when support for adult children ends.
Sep 5, 2024 · 4 min read
Protection Orders When Court Orders Are Ignored
When a parent ignores parenting orders, BC courts can treat it as family violence. What S.A.M. v. M.R.Y., 2023 BCPC 185 means for protection orders.
Aug 5, 2024 · 3 min read
Pet Custody in BC: New Family Law Act Rules
Who keeps the pet after separation in BC? How the Family Law Act's companion animal rules and the Stella the golden retriever case decide pet custody.
Apr 30, 2024 · 4 min read
BC Family Law Act Changes: Property and Pets
BC's Family Law Act changes: what the 2023 property and presumption amendments do, and the companion animal rules in force since January 15, 2024.
Jun 12, 2023 · 4 min read
Unbundled Family Law Services in Surrey, BC
Can't afford full representation? SiLaw Group in Surrey, BC offers unbundled family law services — document drafting, hearing prep and limited-scope help.
Apr 5, 2023 · 2 min read
Are Maher (Mahr) Agreements Enforceable in BC?
Is a Maher (mahr) enforceable in BC? Learn the writing, signing and witnessing requirements plus BC cases like Nathoo v. Nathoo. Free Surrey consultation.
Apr 5, 2023 · 6 min read
Tax Issues in Separation & Divorce in BC
How separation and divorce affect your taxes in BC: spousal support deductions, child support rules, RRSP transfers and the CRA forms you need to file.
Mar 30, 2023 · 1 min read
How to Reduce Child Support Arrears in BC
Behind on child support in BC? Learn when a court can reduce or cancel arrears under s. 174 of the Family Law Act and the four D.B.S. factors that apply.
Mar 11, 2023 · 3 min read
Divorcing a Narcissist in BC: A Lawyer's Guide
Divorcing a narcissist? Lessons from Bill Eddy's book Splitting for BC family law clients: the CARS method, protecting children and pacing yourself.
Mar 10, 2023 · 2 min read
Moving with Your Child from BC: Relocation Rules
Planning to move from BC with your child? Learn the Family Law Act's 60-day notice rule, objection deadlines and what courts consider. Free consult.
Jan 21, 2023 · 5 min read
Family Mediation in BC: Benefits & Process
Why family mediation works in BC: lower cost, privacy and control, how the Family Law Act supports out-of-court resolution, and how Surrey mediators help.
Jan 4, 2023 · 2 min read
Shared Parenting Arrangements in BC
Shared parenting in BC means each parent has at least 40% of parenting time. Learn how decision-making, schedules and child support work under BC law.
May 18, 2022 · 4 min read
Breaking a Lease Due to Family Violence in BC
BC tenants can end a fixed-term lease to escape household violence. Learn who qualifies, the notice you must give, and the third-party confirmation step.
Jul 17, 2020 · 3 min read
Urgent Family Court Hearings in BC Explained
BC courts hear urgent family matters — child safety, protection orders, wrongful removal. How judges decide urgency, and how the COVID-19 suspension ended.
Apr 17, 2020 · 4 min read
Parenting Arrangements During COVID-19 (2020 BC Archive)
Archived March 2020 guidance on parenting time during the COVID-19 pandemic in BC. Kept for reference; court operations have since returned to normal.
Mar 27, 2020 · 4 min read
Co-Parenting During Emergencies in BC: 7 Rules
Separated parents in BC: seven practical rules for parenting time during emergencies — court orders, makeup time, health protocols and support obligations.
Mar 23, 2020 · 4 min read
Family Protection Orders in BC: How to Apply
Learn how family protection orders work in BC: what counts as family violence under the Family Law Act, what a judge can order, and how to apply urgently.
5 min read
Abuse Against Men in British Columbia Relationships
What counts as family violence under BC's Family Law Act, how protection orders work, and Surrey support services for men experiencing abuse.
5 min read
Unequal Division of Family Property in BC (s.95)
When will a BC court order more than a 50/50 split of family property? Learn the s.95 significant unfairness test, excluded property rules and next steps.
4 min read
Bill C-78: How the Divorce Act Changed in 2021
Bill C-78 rewrote Canada's Divorce Act on March 1, 2021: parenting orders, relocation notice and family-violence rules explained by BC family lawyers.
3 min read
Child Support in British Columbia
How child support works in BC: who pays, how Guidelines amounts are set, special expenses, support past age 19, and enforcement through the BCFMA.
3 min read
Coercive Control Is Now a Tort: Ahluwalia in BC
The SCC's Ahluwalia decision recognizes a new tort of intimate partner violence. What its three elements mean for BC family law claims and evidence.
5 min read
Family Mediation Benefits in Surrey, BC
How family mediation helps Surrey BC families: lower cost, privacy, control over outcomes, and how BC's Family Law Act makes mediated agreements binding.
5 min read
Parenting Time Denied? Enforcement in BC
What to do when parenting time is denied in BC — documentation, mediation and court remedies under the Family Law Act, explained by Surrey family lawyers.
7 min read
Grounds for Divorce in BC: The 3 Legal Grounds
BC recognizes three grounds for divorce under the Divorce Act: one year of separation, adultery, and cruelty. Learn how each works and the steps to file.
6 min read
How Do I Get Spousal Support From My Ex in BC?
How to get spousal support in BC: separation agreement, mediation or a court order under the Divorce Act or Family Law Act, and the factors courts weigh.
4 min read
How to Terminate or Vary Spousal Support in BC
Learn when BC courts will vary or end spousal support: the material change test from Powell v Levesque, plus how to apply. Free 30-minute consultation.
3 min read
Desk Order Divorce in BC: Step-by-Step DIY Guide
Step-by-step guide to filing an uncontested desk order divorce in BC without a lawyer: eligibility, Supreme Court forms F3 to F52, timelines and fees.
4 min read
Setting Aside Ex Parte Orders in BC Family Law
Served with an ex parte or without notice order in BC? Learn the legal tests for setting it aside under the Family Law Act and Supreme Court Family Rules.
3 min read
Collaborative Family Law in Surrey, BC
How collaborative family law works in Surrey, BC: both spouses commit to settling out of court with trained lawyers, full disclosure and joint meetings.
4 min read
Mediation with a Narcissist: Can It Work?
Divorcing a narcissist? How BC family law mediation handles high-conflict personalities, when it can work, and when court is the safer route.
5 min read
Divorce Lawyer in Surrey: What to Look For
Choosing a divorce lawyer in Surrey, BC? Six things to check first — experience, fees, communication and the Law Society of BC discipline record.
3 min read
7 Mistakes to Avoid After Separation in BC
Recently separated in BC without a lawyer? Avoid 7 costly mistakes — from missed disclosure to the two-year limit on property claims after separation.
3 min read
Benefits of a Separation Agreement in BC
Learn how a separation agreement protects both parties in BC — certainty, privacy, lower cost — and the steps to make yours legally binding.
2 min read
Leaving an Abusive Relationship: What to Pack
A practical checklist of what to take when leaving an abusive relationship in BC: ID, financial records, medication, kids' items and tech safety steps.
3 min read
Reconsidering a BC Family Law Judgment
Reconsideration is not a substitute for an appeal. When BC courts will reopen a family law judgment before entry, and Rule 15-1(18)'s slip rule after.
3 min read
Services Offered by SiLaw Group Family Lawyers and Mediators
Family mediation services enable families to resolve disputes outside of court. A neutral third party—the mediator—facilitates communication and helps…
3 min read
Spousal Support Reviews in BC: How They Work
How spousal support reviews work in BC: no material change needed, hearings de novo, SSAG ranges, and when to use a review instead of a variation.
4 min read
Parenting Time Withheld Over COVID-19: BC Case
A 2020 BC Provincial Court decision on a parent withholding parenting time over COVID-19 concerns, and what BC's Family Law Act says about wrongful denial.
3 min read
Top 10 Books to Read After a Separation
Ten books our Surrey family lawyers recommend after separation — from Bill Eddy's BIFF to The Grief Recovery Handbook — with why each one helps.
3 min read
What Is a Judicial Case Conference (JCC) in BC?
Learn what happens at a judicial case conference (JCC) in the BC Supreme Court: what to file first, what orders a judge can make, and how to prepare.
5 min read
Family Lawyer vs Mediator in BC: How to Choose
Family lawyer or mediator? Learn what each does in BC family disputes, when to choose which, and how the two roles work together in Surrey, BC.
4 min read
12 Questions to Ask a Family Lawyer (BC)
Choosing a family lawyer in Surrey, BC? Ask these 12 questions about fees, experience, communication and case strategy before you sign a retainer.
4 min read