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Supporting families with free services during separation, conflict

Press Release

May 21, 2026

VICTORIA

Summary

  • In 2025, nearly 96,000 unique services were provided to people in B.C. through the Province’s family justice programs
  • People can access a wide range of free family justice services in person or virtually through Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres
  • Expert staff throughout B.C. can help people understand their options and make informed decisions during separation or divorce

Families going through separation or divorce can access a wide range of free provincial services designed to reduce conflict during challenging transitions and help people make informed decisions.

“Going through separation or divorce is already difficult for couples and children,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “Our government is working to provide innovative and free family justice programs to help make this transition easier. We’re proud to invest in a wide variety of accessible services that families need to make informed decisions and protect the best interests of children.”

Navigating the justice system can be complex, time-consuming and overwhelming. Through Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres throughout B.C., families can get free, convenient help with parenting arrangements, guardianship, child and spousal support, and property division involving a companion animal. People can also get support to resolve family law matters throughout the provincial court process, with guidance and navigation at every step. These programs are all designed to help families manage changes in their relationships, ensuring the right information and services are available when they need them.

Accessible services for families

Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres are located throughout B.C. and serve as key entry points for people dealing with family law issues.

People can contact or visit a centre to discuss their specific situation and determine what services may be most helpful. Families can then book an appointment with a family justice counsellor or an accredited mediator to explore specific issues.

The centres provide services primarily for people facing cost barriers for legal and other supports. Expert staff can provide legal information, referrals and help people understand their options during separation or divorce. Family-advice lawyers and duty counsel are available at some Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres to provide legal advice.

The centres also offer a full range of services through telephone and video conferencing, making them accessible even if there is no centre nearby or when families are separated by distance.

Free legal help for those who need it

Through a critical provincially funded program launched in 2024, Legal Aid BC offers legal representation for family law matters through the Family Law Centre, and through private lawyers who take on legal-aid cases. People can get help dealing with difficult family law matters, such as protection orders, child support and parenting matters, such as denial of parenting time.

People can call or visit the nearest Legal Aid BC location to find out if they qualify for a legal-aid lawyer. Other supports through Legal Aid BC are also available to help people who may not qualify for a legal-aid lawyer.

Other provincially funded services

In addition to these services, other supports funded by the Province are available to families to help with matters involving children, such as:

  • The Child Support Recalculation Service helps families review and keep their child support orders or agreements up to date so they do not need to go back to court every year.
  • The BC Family Maintenance Agency offers free help for families who are eligible to receive or pay family support by collecting payments from the parent required to pay support, managing payment records, and forwarding the collected funds to the parent eligible to receive them.

The Province’s family justice programs provided nearly 96,000 unique services to people in B.C. in 2025, making the navigation of the justice system easier and less stressful.

All programs and services are part of the government’s work to ensure effective and timely access to justice for people in British Columbia. By investing in accessible, free services, the Province is helping families resolve issues more efficiently, reduce conflict and achieve fair outcomes.

Quick Facts:

  • The Ministry of Attorney General’s Family Justice Services Division serves families experiencing separation or divorce by providing information and mediation services to help resolve family law disputes.
  • A family law matter can include:
    • parenting arrangements, including parental responsibilities and parenting time
    • child support
    • contact with a child
    • guardianship of a child
    • spousal support
    • ownership and possession of companion animals

Learn More:

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Ministry of Attorney General
Media Relations
604-830-6285

BACKGROUNDER

Free, accessible supports for navigating family law solutions

For people looking for family law help, the Province funds and provides a range of services to help families navigate their family law challenges.

Online courses for informed decision-making

Parenting After Separation are free online courses that provide information for parents and other family members to support careful and informed decision-making about their separation, based on the best interests of the children and youth.

People involved in a family law case in B.C. Provincial Court may be required to complete these courses, which are available in English, French and Punjabi. A culturally informed version of the Parenting After Separation service is available to support Indigenous families.

For more information about the Parenting After Separation course, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/ParentingAfterSeparation

Family justice report service

Specially trained family justice counsellors throughout the province, called report writers, prepare two categories of free court-ordered reports. to help the court make informed decisions about parenting arrangements.

A Views of Child (VOC) report involves interviewing children/youth to provide a summary of their thoughts and wishes to their parents and the court.

Full reports provide a more in-depth look at a family’s situation. They include an assessment of the parents’ ability to meet the needs and best interests of their children/youth, in addition to the views of the children/youth.

BC Family Maintenance Agency

The BC Family Maintenance Agency is a Crown agency that offers free help for families who are eligible to receive or pay family support.

The agency collects payments from the parent required to pay support, manages payment records and forwards the collected funds to the parent eligible to receive them.

If a parent is not complying with their support order or agreement, the BC Family Maintenance Agency can take necessary steps to ensure support is paid.

Maintenance Enforcement and Locate Services

The Maintenance Enforcement and Locate Services deliver several programs that help families receive the financial support they are entitled to under court orders or agreements.

Their Locate Services program has legal authority to conduct searches in support of establishing and enforcing family orders and agreements. Search officers can also request information from federal databases on behalf of other justice partners, such as the BC Family Maintenance Agency.

Maintenance Enforcement and Locate Services also supports the work of its family justice partner, the BC Family Maintenance Agency.

Child Support Recalculation Service

The Child Support Recalculation Service helps families keep child-support amounts up to date. Instead of going back to court every year, parents can rely on this free service to review their child-support orders or written agreements.

Parents can enroll in the program with their child support order or agreement voluntarily or as mandated by the court.

Each year, the service reviews the income of the parent obligated to pay support and the recipient of the support if needed. If a parent’s income has increased or decreased, the service adjusts the child support amount by applying the child-support guidelines.

This ensures that support payments stay fair and aligned with financial circumstances. By handling these updates administratively, the service helps families avoid applying to court.

For more information, visit: https://childsupportrecalc.gov.bc.ca/

Interjurisdictional Support Services

Interjurisdictional Support Services is a free provincial service that helps families co-ordinate when parents live in separate places: one in British Columbia and the other in another Canadian province or territory, or in a foreign jurisdiction.

When a parent lives in B.C., and they want to establish or change child support, they can submit an application. Case managers will review the application and forward it to the province, territory or country where the other parent lives.

When a parent is in another part of Canada or anothercountry submits a family support application, Interjurisdictional Support Services receives the application and forwards it to the parent living in B.C. Case managers can assist with arranging court dates and help ensure the B.C. resident parent’s response is complete.

Interjurisdictional Support Services also assists with registering orders or agreements in the B.C. court registry so the amount ordered can be enforced by the BC Family Maintenance Agency.

For more information, visit: https://www.isoforms.bc.ca/

Family Law Centre

The Family Law Centre is a provincially funded Legal Aid BC program that offers free legal services to survivors of family violence who may not be able to afford legal representation. Eligible clients work with a lawyer and an advocate to help stabilize their legal and non-legal issues.

The lawyer can provide full legal representation to resolve family law issues and help with other overlapping legal and non-legal issues.

The advocate can be a main point of contact, answer questions, and provide information. They can go to meetings and appointments, and connect clients with other services such as counselling, Indigenous cultural supports, parenting support programs, settlement services and victim services.

The Family Law Centre has offices in Surrey and Victoria, and provides virtual and mobile services in Duncan, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo and Prince George.

To access Family Law Centre services, people are encouraged to contact Legal Aid BC. Intake staff are available to help assess legal issues and determine eligibility.

For more information, visit: https://legalaid.bc.ca/services/family-law-centre

Family duty counsel

Family duty counsel are lawyers who can provide legal information, advice and coaching on family law matters, assist with court forms and attend court with a client for specific matters, such as adjournment or urgent orders (e.g., protection orders). This help is available to people who may not qualify for legal representation from a legal-aid lawyer.

Family duty counsel services are available at court locations throughout B.C. and are provided primarily in person, with phone-only services available at specific locations.

For more information about court locations offering family duty counsel services and eligibility requirements, visit: https://legalaid.bc.ca/services/family-duty-counsel

Family Advice Lawyers

Family advice lawyers can provide free legal information and advice to parents going through a separation or divorce. This help is available to people who may not qualify for legal representation from a legal aid lawyer.

People can access family advice lawyer services by appointment at the Family Justice Centre locations in:

  • Kamloops
  • Kelowna
  • New Westminster
  • Prince George

For more information and eligibility requirements, visit: https://legalaid.bc.ca/services/family-advice-lawyers

Family LawLINE

Family LawLINE lawyers give brief next-step advice about family law issues. This help is available to people who may not qualify for legal representation from a legal-aid lawyer.

People are encouraged to contact Legal Aid BC intake staff, who can assess eligibility for the Family LawLINE service. Interpreters are provided for people needing services in languages other than English. People may also qualify for additional support from a paralegal with drafting court documents.

For more information, visit: https://legalaid.bc.ca/services/family-lawline

Contact:

Ministry of Attorney General
Media Relations
604-830-6285

ILR5

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