Online Divorce Assistant
Online Divorce Assistant
Justice Access Centres and Family Justice Centres across BC have Family Justice Counsellors and Child Support Officers specially trained to help families resolve their issues about guardianship, parenting arrangements (time and responsibilities), contact and child / spousal support. There is no charge for their services. Services are available whether you are looking to establish or vary existing arrangements; and may include provision of legal information and information on court processes and options for resolution, mediation and referrals.
If you need someone to help you complete your on-line divorce applications, a free service by Amici Curiae (Friends of the Court) Legal Forms Workshop can help you.
You may want to look at the Divorce self-help guide on the Family Law in British Columbia website for a step-by-step guide. You can also visit ClickLaw and the Justice Education Society for online legal information.
The B.C. Government website has a page that lists resources available to help you and your children adjust to separation and divorce, and deal with issues such as how to collect child support and how to handle debt. The Law Courts Center offers Legal Form Workshops for self-represented litigants.
You are not required to have a lawyer to get a separation or divorce, but depending on how complex your family issues are, it may be helpful to have a lawyer help you.
If your divorce is uncontested — you both agree to the divorce and you are able to sort out your parenting plans and support issues as well as the division of property — you may proceed with the divorce on your own.
However, a family lawyer is a good source of information about separation and divorce and can also give you legal advice about what your rights and responsibilities are under the law. If you need help settling your family law disputes, or if you do need to go to court, a family lawyer can help.
There may be times when you want legal advice. There are many options available to you, a few are:
This service is provided by the Canadian Bar Association and can refer you to a lawyer who will confer with you for up to 30 minutes for a nominal fee. Contact information, 1-800-663-1919 or their website.
If you think you will want legal help for only part of your separation or divorce, you can look for a lawyer that offers “unbundled” services. The BC Family Law Unbundling Roster (HelpMap) is a list of legal professionals near you who offer unbundled services. Many also offer their services remotely, through telephone, webconferencing or other tools.
You can visit the Justice Access Centre in Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria for in-person help. They can refer you to services and resources that are available for your situation.
CSO Support - Courts.CSO@gov.bc.ca
Hours of Operation: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Pacific Time - Monday to Friday except Statutory Holidays