Provincial Court Early Resolution: The Steps Before You Can File for Family Orders

If you want a Provincial Court order about parenting time, guardianship or support in British Columbia, there is a good chance you will have to complete several steps before a judge sees your application. These are the early resolution requirements in Part 2 of the Provincial Court Family Rules.

Since May 1, 2026, those rules apply in 46 registries listed in the rules. Knowing the steps, and the exceptions, helps you plan your time and arrive at each meeting prepared.

Where early resolution applies

Rule 6 of the Provincial Court Family Rules makes every registry listed in Appendix 1 an early resolution registry. After the expansion on May 1, 2026, the list has 46 registries. The Province describes it as covering all Provincial Court registries in the Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, Vancouver Island and Interior regions.

In the Lower Mainland, that includes Vancouver (Robson Square), Richmond, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Surrey, Port Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Sechelt and Pemberton. Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and Kamloops are also on the list.

A registry that is not on the list is not an early resolution registry. Those registries follow a different set of rules, which mainly require a parenting education program before the first family management conference. The Province has said other locations may be added, so check the current list for the registry where your case would be filed.

Which issues it covers

Early resolution applies to "family law matters" in Provincial Court: parenting arrangements (parental responsibilities and parenting time), child support, contact with a child, guardianship, spousal support, and ownership or possession of a companion animal.

It does not apply to claims that belong in the Supreme Court, such as a divorce or the division of a home, pensions or savings. If those issues are in play, a lawyer can help you decide whether your case belongs in the Supreme Court instead. Our overview of parenting arrangements and guardianship in BC explains the parenting terms used in both courts.

The steps before you can file

Under rule 10, a party who wants to apply for an order about a family law matter in an early resolution registry must first:

• File a notice to resolve. This is Form 1, Notice to Resolve a Family Law Matter, and you must give a copy to each other party.
• Take part in a needs assessment. Each party meets individually with a needs assessor, usually a family justice counsellor. Under rule 16, the meeting identifies legal and non-legal needs, screens for family violence, explains options in and out of court, and gives referrals.
• Complete a parenting education program. This is usually the Parenting After Separation online course. Under rule 17, a needs assessor can exempt you, for example if you completed it in the last two years, the case is only about spousal support, or every child is 19 or older.
• Attend at least one consensual dispute resolution session. This is typically mediation. Rule 18 lets a needs assessor or the dispute resolution professional decide a session is not appropriate, or that the parties cannot access the service.

Once those steps are done and issues remain, you may file your application. The Province's guidance says the first court appearance after early resolution is a family management conference.

If you are the other party

The responding party has to complete the needs assessment, parenting program and dispute resolution steps too, before filing a reply (rule 11). A reply is due within 30 days after you are served with the application, so the steps cannot be left to the last minute.

The rules also keep one party from holding the process hostage. If you have met the requirements, rule 21 lets you proceed with your application even if the other party is unable or unwilling to take part. Under rule 22, a party who receives a notice to resolve and does not complete the steps may not participate in the case unless the court orders otherwise.

When you can go straight to court

Rule 12 says the early resolution requirements do not apply if you are applying only for:

• a protection order;
• an order about a priority parenting matter;
• an order about relocation;
• a case management order;
• a consent order; or
• an enforcement order.

Rule 14 confirms that a protection order or priority parenting matter can be brought before the other steps are complete. The requirements also do not apply to a support-only application by a party who has assigned support rights to the government, and they stop applying if the file is transferred to a registry that is not an early resolution registry.

If you are worried about your safety or a child's safety, say so at the needs assessment and speak to a lawyer about whether a protection order is needed now.

Two timing points to watch

The one-year rule. If more than a year passes after the last early resolution step and no application has been filed, rule 15 requires a notice of intention to proceed (Form 2) and a new needs assessment before you go further.

Cases already under way. Vancouver (Robson Square), Kelowna and Nanaimo were formerly family justice registries with their own rules. Under rules 199 and 200, those earlier rules continue to apply to family law matters started in a former family justice registry. If your case began there, check which rules govern it.

Using early resolution well

The steps are free, and many families settle during them. They tend to work well when you arrive knowing your priorities, your financial picture and what a court would likely consider. Getting legal advice before the needs assessment and the mediation session, and having any agreement reviewed before you sign it, can save time later. Our separation first-steps checklist covers the documents worth gathering early.

Starting a Provincial Court family case? Prepare before the first meeting

Our family lawyers can advise you before your needs assessment and dispute resolution session, help you decide which court suits your issues, and prepare your application or reply once the early resolution steps are complete.

Call 604-259-2844 or send us a message to arrange a consultation at our Vancouver office.