Province Eyes Changes To Family Law Act

The Province is looking at a series of changes to the Family Law Act that would offer more support to families and strengthen protections for people experiencing family violence.

The proposals come out of Phase 2 of a multi-year review of the act, which guides everything from guardianship and parenting responsibilities to support payments and dividing property.

The review looks at how the law can better reflect today’s families and recent court decisions.

“This is the next step in our plan to update family law in B.C. and make the justice system more supportive and accessible,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General.

“It includes proposed reforms to better support survivors of family and intimate-partner violence, which remains one of my top priorities. I’m grateful to everyone who shared their experience to help guide this work, and I look forward to continuing to improve our laws to meet the needs of families throughout the province.”

Among the recommendations: broadening the definition of family violence to include coercive and controlling behaviour, making it easier for survivors to get protection orders, and doubling the standard length of those orders from one year to two.

The suggested updates would also make parenting arrangements more child-focused by requiring courts to look at safety concerns, improving children’s chances to share their views, and ensuring decisions reflect a child’s cultural, spiritual, or linguistic background.

The government says it will continue reviewing feedback and expects to provide an update this fall.

Phase 1 of the review already brought in changes around pension division, spousal support, property division, and even addressed ownership of pets after separation or divorce.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.