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{{JP Boyd on Family Law TOC}}
If you need the court to make an order about anything, from the care of children to the payment of spousal support to the division of assets, you must begin a court proceeding. There are certain steps you must take, certain fees you must pay and certain forms you must fill out before the court will hear your claim. Although the staff at the court registries are friendly and very helpful, it is your job to prepare these materials, gather your evidence and take the steps necessary to bring your case before a judge. This page reviews the processes for starting a proceeding in the Supreme Court and the Provincial Court.
*Rule 1-1: definitions
*Rule 3-1: commencing an actionstarting a court proceeding
*Rule 4-1: Notices of Family Claim and service requirements
*Rule 4-3: replying to an actiona Notice of Family Claim
*Rule 5-1: financial disclosure
*Rule 6-3: personal service
The ''Divorce Act'' and Rule 6-3(2) of the Supreme Court Family Rules say that a Claimant cannot serve a Respondent him- or herself. You must either pay a process server to do it or enlist the help of a friend over the age of majority. Although this ought go without saying, do not use one of your children to serve your ex.
===DefaultDeadline for Reply===
If the Respondent fails to file and deliver his or her ''Response to Family Claim'' within 30 days, the Claimant may be able to apply for the orders you've asked for in the Notice of Family Claim by way of a ''default judgment'', using the desk order process described in the _____ chapter.
You should be aware that in most cases the courts are fairly lenient towards people who miss filing deadlines. A Claimant should not expect to "win" on a technicality of this nature; if a Respondent files his or her Response to Family Claim late, the court will usually give the Respondent an extension of time and overlook the missed due date. However, if the Respondent just ignores you, at some point the court will make the order you're asking for.
===The Next Steps===
===Financial Statements===
If the case court proceeding involves a claim for spousal support, child support or the division of assets, each party must prepare and file a ''Financial Statement''. A Financial Statement sets out a person's income, expenses, assets and liabilities and is sworn on oath or affirmation, just like an Affidavit, by a lawyer, notary public or registry clerk.
Financial Statements are very important in family law cases. The portions about income are critical for determining child support and spousal support, and, unless there are appraisals or other documents that establish amount, the portions about assets and debts will sometimes be used to establish the value of an asset and the outstanding balance of a liability. As well, since Financial Statements are sworn statements, someone making a Financial Statement can find his or her credibility being challenged if the numbers don't make sense, if they are overblown or understated, if they omit critical information, or if they are outright fabrications.
===Judicial Case Conferences===
Judicial Case Conferences are relatively informal, off-the-record, private meetings between the parties, their lawyers and a judge in a courtroom. JCCs must be held in all contested family law actionsproceedings, and, in most cases, they must be held before any interim applications can be heard.
JCCs are discussed in more in _____ .
==The Provincial Court==
To start a proceeding in the Provincial Court, the main document you will have to prepare is an ''Application to Obtain an Order'' in Form 1, a special form prescribed by the Provincial Court Family Rules. (Court proceedings can also be started with an Application to Change an Order where there is already a court order or separation agreement.) This is the document that says who you are suing and what you are suing for.
Family law proceedings are governed by the Provincial Court Family Rules. It's important that you have a working knowledge of the rules about how court proceedings are started; as your proceeding progresses, you'll also need to learn the rules about Family Case Conferences, disclosure, interim applications and trials. The primary rules about Applications to Obtain an Order and the management of court proceedings are:
*Rule 1: definitions
*Rule 2: Applications to Obtain an Order and service requirements
*Rule 3: replying to an Application to Obtain an Order
*Rule 4: financial disclosure
STOPPED
*Rule 6-3: personal service
*Rule 7-1: Judicial Case Conferences
*Part 9: disclosure and discovery of documents
*Part 10: chambers procedure
*Rule 11-4: discontinuing an action
*Part 13: expert witnesses
*Rule 11-3: summary trial procedure
*Rule 14-7: trial procedure
===Limitations of the Provincial Court===
The Provincial Court is designed for people who are not represented by a lawyer. There are no filing fees in this court; the forms are a lot easier to prepare; the rules of court are simpler; and, the court registry takes care of things like drafting court orders. The only downside of bringing your case to the Provincial Court is that the court has a limited jurisdiction and can only hear applications under the ''Family Law Act'' dealing with certain issues, including: