More families on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast will soon have expanded access to free legal support aimed at resolving disputes outside court.
The provincial government said the early resolution process for family-law matters is expanding to 35 additional Provincial Court family registry locations across B.C.
That includes all remaining registries in the Vancouver Island, Vancouver Coastal, Fraser and Interior regions.
The program offers free support for issues such as parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, contact with a child, guardianship and disputes involving companion animals.
Attorney General Niki Sharma said the goal is to reduce stress on families and keep more cases out of court.
She said separation and divorce can already be difficult without adding costly and time-consuming legal proceedings.
“With this latest expansion, many more families in B.C. will be able to access to this service, when and where they need it,” said Sharma.
The program began as a pilot project in Victoria in 2019 and has since expanded across parts of the Lower Mainland.
Officials said early results show positive impacts, including fewer new family-law cases in some areas and a high rate of disputes resolved without court involvement.
Before filing a case in Provincial Court, families must meet with a family justice counsellor. They may also be asked to take a parenting course or participate in a dispute resolution session.
The process includes screening for family violence and referrals to legal advice and community support services where needed.
If issues are not resolved through the process, families can still proceed to court.
The expansion takes effect May 1, including new registry locations on Vancouver Island in Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Gold River, Nanaimo and Port Hardy, as well as Powell River on the Sunshine Coast.
