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→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 many steps in the court process, like starting including filing the paperwork that starts a court proceeding, making an application, or hearing a going to trial. The rules of the Provincial Court are shorter and more straightforward , and no the court doesn't charge any fees are charged.
It is possible to start a proceeding in the Provincial Court to deal with things like child support, and then start a proceeding in the Supreme Court to get a divorce and deal with things like property. It can be complicated to split your family law issues between two courts. A lot of people find it easier just to deal with everything in one court, but because of the limits of the authority of the Provincial Court, the Supreme Court is the only choice available.
==The Provincial Court==