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Section 8 of the Rules clearly states that “parties may come to an agreement or otherwise reach resolution about family issues at any time”. That means that even if it’s the morning of your trial and you’re all ready to go, you and your ex can decide to settle without going to trial.
The new Rules have also divided various courthouses courthouse registries into different categories, or ''registries''. For example, Victoria is an ''Early Resolution Registry'', Vancouver (Robson Square) is a ''Family Justice Registry'', and Abbotsford is a ''Parenting Education Program Registry''. For more information of each of these types of registry, see the section on [[Starting a Court Proceeding in a Family Matter]], under the heading Early Resolution Registries.
No matter the registry in which you find yourself, there are certain steps you have to take before you’ll be able to argue before a judge. In most cases, the first time that parties will be before a judge will be at what’s called a ''Family Management Conference'' (also called an “FMC”), which is a settlement-focused appearance. If settlement isn’t possible at the FMC, the judge can make orders (by consent or not), make interim orders to address needs until resolution is reached, and determine next appropriate steps.