Family Law in BC

Family Law in BC is a Legal Services Society website that provides legal information on family law matters, including separation and divorce, child and spousal support, custody and access, guardianship, child protections/removal, division of family assets, and adoption. Website: Click on "Self-help guides" for help with procedures such as filing for divorce, "Court forms" for links to family court forms, and "Who can help" for options for assistance with family law problems.

Website familylaw.lss.bc.ca Phone No phone service available

A payment made by one spouse to the other spouse to help with the recipient's day-to-day living expenses or to compensate the recipient for the financial choices the spouses made during the relationship.

In family law, an antiquated term used by the old Divorce Act to describe the right to possess a child and make parenting decisions concerning the child's health, welfare and upbringing. Replaced in the new Divorce Act with the term decision-making responsibility." See "access," "decision-making responsibility" and "parenting time."

Under the old Divorce Act, the schedule of a parent's time with their children under an order or agreement, replaced with "parenting time" and "contact" in the new Divorce Act. Access usually referred to the schedule of the parent with the least amount of time with the child. See "contact," "custody" and "parenting time."

In family law, the act or process of taking another person's child as one's own. The child becomes the adopting parent's legal child as if the child were the adopting parent's natural child, while the natural parent loses all rights and obligations with respect to the child. See "natural parent."