Family Violence Overview

If you are in danger

If your physical safety is in immediate danger, start here first:

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• For crisis support, dial VictimLINK at 1-800-563-0808 for confidential and multilingual service.
• For more information, visit the Clicklaw website (www.clicklaw.bc.ca) for a list of websites and other assistance under the heading "Your safety."

Overview of the various laws around family violence

This chapter talks about the laws and legal mechanisms for dealing with family violence. (Other terms, such as gender-based violence, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence, are more commonly used by anti-violence organizations and have meanings that are similar to family violence.) It covers:

• the provincial Family Law Act, its definition of family violence, and mechanisms for keeping family members safe and able to work on resolving their family matters,
• the federal Divorce Act and its definition of family violence, and mechanisms for keeping spouses and children safe and able to work on resolving their family matters,
• the provincial Child, Family and Community Service Act, and how family violence intersects with child protection issues,
• family violence in the context of the federal Criminal Code, with information for those who have experienced family violence and those accused of crimes, and
• the law of torts, another area of the civil law, that lets people ask for compensation when they have been harmed as a result of the actions of other people.

The Family Law Act

Under the Family Law Act, the term family violence includes physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. This includes harmful behaviour such as threats, harassment, emotional abuse, and even acts that harm someone's financial independence and autonomy. Women, gender-diverse people, and children continue to be disproportionately impacted by family violence, in particular Indigenous women, women with disabilities, racialized women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The legal system's concept of family violence has expanded beyond physical violence, reflecting how abuse and violence impact family members, including children. Fear, intimidation, and coercive control, can have a similar if not greater impact on the safety of family members than physical violence, and can have a significant impact on the outcome of a family law dispute. In many cases, more than one of these types of family violence may be present, and different types of family violence may be used at different times during the relationship. However, the presence of even one type of violent behaviour will meet the definition of family violence and may need to be taken into account when resolving the legal issues that come up when a relationship ends.

The Family Law Act offers a few ways for dealing with family violence, including protection orders, conduct orders, and rules that require the court to consider family violence when deciding what is in the best interests of children.

The act also requires that all "family dispute resolution professionals," a term which includes lawyers, family justice counselors and mediators, assess the potential for family violence in their cases. Where warning signs of family violence are present, lawyers must first determine if there are any safety risks to their client and their client's family members. They must also assess the degree to which family violence might be impairing the ability of their client to speak for themselves, advocate for their interests, and negotiate a fair agreement.

The Family Law Act and the Divorce Act both require the court to consider the impact of coercive and controlling behaviour and family violence when making decisions about children.

The Divorce Act

The Divorce Act also has a definition of family violence. Like the definition in the Family Law Act, the Divorce Act definition includes more than physical violence. It includes sexual abuse, threats to kill or harm someone, harassment, psychological abuse, financial abuse, and threats to harm an animal or damage property.

Like the definition in the Family Law Act, the Divorce Act requires judges to consider family violence when making decisions about what is in the best interests of children.

Child protection

Where children are at risk, the provincial Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD) become involved. In the case of Indigenous children, an Indigenous authority may step in instead of the MCFD, and offer support or protection. Child protection is dealt with under the Child, Family and Community Service Act RSBC 1996, c 46, and can influence your family law proceeding dramatically. This chapter takes a brief look at some child protection issues, what happens when a report of a protection concern is made, and discusses when children may be placed in the care of MCFD or Indigenous authority.

Criminal law context

Where a family member has committed family violence, it is possible that they have also committed a criminal offence. Even where there is an existing family law case, criminal offences are prosecuted separately from family law cases in criminal court. This chapter provides an introduction to the ways that criminal law can affect cases involving family violence.

If a family member has assaulted or threatened another, this can lead to charges being laid under the Criminal Code. While charges are being prosecuted the accused person may be ordered by a judge to have no contact with the complainant (typically called no contact conditions). Other possible orders include not being allowed to have weapons or not being allowed to go to the complainant’s home. If the person is convicted of the crime, they will also receive a sentence which could include further court orders or even time in jail. The Criminal Code also provides for peace bonds. Peace bonds do not result in criminal convictions and punishments, but they can be used to order an accused person not have to contact with the complainant. Peace bonds can be obtained against abusers of all kinds, including someone you dated, even if they do not meet the requirements for a protection order under the Family Law Act.

Civil law context

Where a family member has committed family violence, they may also have created a cause of action in civil law. A cause of action is the right to sue for something. Being wrongfully fired or hit by a car in a crosswalk can give you a cause of action. If you were assaulted by someone, including in a family relationship, you might pursue your cause of action in a lawsuit for assault or battery.

Civil law is a broad area of law, and it includes the law of torts, better known as personal injury law. The law of torts can address physical assaults, but also covers a wide range of harmful actions including privacy violations and damage to property. The result of a successful tort claim is typically financial compensation.

This chapter takes a brief look at how tort claims related to family violence can be brought with or alongside a regular family law case. This chapter also reviews some of the common challenges in tort cases.

Resources and links

Legislation

• Family Law Act
• Divorce Act
• Criminal Code
• Child, Family and Community Service Act
• Provincial Court (Child, Family and Community Service Act) Rules
• Provincial Court Family Rules
• Supreme Court Family Rules
• Limitation Act

Resources

• E-book by Dr. Linda C. Neilson, Responding to Domestic Violence in Family Law, Civil Protection & Child Protection Cases (CanLII February 2017, updated March 2020)
• Legal Aid BC & YWCA, Mothers Leaving Abusive Partners: Family Law Information
• Rise Women’s Legal Centre, Are We Ready to Change? A Lawyer’s Guide to Keeping Women and Children Safe in BC’s Family Law System
• Rise Women’s Legal Centre, Decolonizing Family Law Through Trauma-Informed Practices
• Rise Women’s Legal Centre, Creating Safety in BC Courts: Key Challenges and Recommendations
• West Coast LEAF, Pathways in a Forest: Indigenous Guidance on Prevention-Based Child Welfare
• VictimLINK crisis support line: 1-800-563-0808
• Battered Women's Support Services website and crisis support line: 1-855-687-1868
• Rise Women’s Legal Centre: 1-236-317-9000 or complete an appointment request at https://womenslegalcentre.ca/
• More legal advice, representation and advocacy services related to abuse and family violence on Clicklaw's HelpMap website
• Rise Women's Legal Centre, Seeking a Peace Bond: A Guide (available in 12 languages)
• Dial-A-Law Script "Peace Bonds and Assault Charges"
• Ministry of Attorney General's Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch and Legal Aid BC's booklet For Your Protection: Peace Bonds and Family Law Protection Orders
• Clicklaw resources on abuse and family violence
• Clicklaw resources on child protection
• Legal Aid BC's publications on abuse and family violence
• Legal Aid BC's Family Law website's information page "Child protection"
• Rise Women's Legal Centre, Why Can't Everyone Just Get Along?
• Justice Canada's HELP Toolkit: Identifying and Responding to Family Violence

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by RISE Women's Legal Clinic, June 16, 2023.

JP Boyd on Family Law © John-Paul Boyd and Courthouse Libraries BC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.