CANADA, April 3 - Families in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and New Westminster are able to resolve family law matters quicker while saving money on court costs with the expansion of the early resolution process.
As of Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the early resolution process is available in Provincial Court family registries in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and New Westminster, in addition to existing sites in Victoria, Surrey and Port Coquitlam. By November 2025, the process will expand to North Vancouver, Pemberton, Richmond, Sechelt and Vancouver (Robson Square).
The process is a free service that applies to family law matters, such as parenting arrangements, contact, child support and spousal support, and companion animals. It is designed to reduce conflict and build skills to prevent future conflict through services that are customized to a family’s needs. It provides early preparation for families, many of which are without legal representation, through screening for family violence, identification of legal and non-legal needs, referrals to community organizations, assistance resolving disputes out of court through consensual dispute resolution, and support preparing for next steps, including court processes.
The early resolution process is already leading to positive results for families. An evaluation of the process in Surrey showed that 57% of families resolved their family law issues through the process without going to court and those who did proceed to court had fewer issues.
The process is improving court efficiency as the Surrey Provincial Family Court registry has seen a 61% decline in new family law cases and a 45% decrease in total court time. Similar progress has been seen at the Victoria Provincial Court registry.
This expansion increases the courts’ capacity to deal with other matters and ensures timely access to justice for more people in the province.
Quick Facts:
- Building on existing family justice services, the early resolution process aims to build knowledge, support problem solving and help families prepare for the next steps in their family law matters.
- Family law matters, such as protection, enforcement or priority parenting matters, are not resolved through the early resolution process and will continue to proceed directly to court.
Learn More:
To learn more about the early resolution process, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/EarlyResolution
To learn more about family justice centres and justice access centres and where to find them, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/FamilyJusticeCentres
To access the evaluation of the service in Surrey, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=18BF9554B34A4DACAA317B1B56B50318
