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→Making the choice of forum
There are important differences between the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court. Deciding in which trial court to start a proceeding is called making the ''choice of forum''.
The Provincial Court deals with issues relating to parenting children, child support, spousal support, and orders protecting people under the provincial ''[[Family Law Act]]''. The Supreme Court has the authority to deal with all of those issues, but can also deal with issues about parentage, dividing property and debt, and orders protecting property under the provincial act. Only the Supreme Court has the authority to make orders under the federal ''[[Divorce Act]]'', including orders for divorce. There's a chart showing which court can deal with which issue in the [[Family Law in British Columbia#The courts of British Columbia | Family Law in British Columbia]] chapter of the Getting Started part of this resource.
The rules of the Supreme Court can be very complicated and fees are charged for steps in the process, like starting a court proceeding, making an application, or hearing a trial. The rules of the Provincial Court are more straightforward and no fees are charged.