Spousal & child support & dividing property
Last reviewed March 2024 by the Clicklaw editors
Support is the financial assistance that one parent or ex-spouse provides the other after separation. The parent who doesn’t live with the children is legally responsible to pay child support. Unlike child support, spousal support isn’t legally required, but a spouse will have to pay in certain situations.
When you separate, it’s usually expected that whatever you acquired together during your marriage or common-law relationship will be divided up equally, along with any debts. Anything you had before the marriage typically isn’t part of the deal, although you may have to divide any increase in value.
Explore the links below to reliable online guides and tools and to organizations in BC. They have been chosen by librarians at Courthouse Libraries BC.
Selected resources
Click on a topic to see a list of resources.
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Child & Spousal Support
Legal Aid BC
Describes child and spousal support, how to track support payments, and what to do if the payor can’t or won’t pay.
Last reviewed March 2024
The Federal Child Support Guidelines: Step-by-Step
Government of Canada
This guide has general information, instructions and worksheets, as well as other tools to help you make decisions about child support when you separate or divorce. It is based on the Divorce Act.
Last reviewed March 2024
Child Support Table Look-Up
Government of Canada
The Federal Child Support Tables were updated in 2017 to reflect more recent tax rules. The updated tables came into effect on November 22, 2017. Both 2011 and 2017 tables are provided here.
Last reviewed March 2024
What Are the Child Support Guidelines?
Government of British Columbia
Brief description of the federal child support guidelines, which are the rules for calculating the amount of child support one parent must pay to the other parent to help support their child or children.
Last reviewed March 2024
What Is Financial Disclosure?
Legal Aid BC
Explains when you have to share information about your income, expenses, assets, and debts with your ex-spouse, and how to go about doing so.
Last reviewed March 2024
Dial-a-Law: Spousal Support
People’s Law School
When a relationship ends, one spouse may seek help from the other with living expenses or to compensate for choices the spouses made during the relationship. Learn about spousal support.
Last reviewed March 2024
Dial-a-Law: Couples Who Aren’t Spouses: Your Income, Support, and Property Rights
People’s Law School
Not all couples who live together meet the definition of “spouse” under BC’s family law. For these couples, learn your entitlement to benefits and what happens if you split up.
Last reviewed March 2024
Dial-a-Law: Deciding Who Will Move Out When You Separate
People’s Law School
Provides information about who will move out when a couple separates. Learn your rights when deciding who goes and who stays — and how to enforce the decision. It also covers information about renting. Find out your next steps, and the answers to some common questions.
Last reviewed March 2024
Divorced or Separated: Splitting Canada Pension Plan Credits
Government of Canada
Explains how Canada Pension Plan pension credits built up during the time a couple lived together can be split equally between them upon divorce or separation. It also outlines how to request “credit splitting.”
Last reviewed March 2024
Property & Debt
Legal Aid BC
Information about what’s considered shared property and debt, how to divide them between you after you separate or divorce, and how to protect your property and finances from being unfairly divided without your consent.
Last reviewed March 2024
Dial-a-Law: Mediation, Collaborative Negotiation, and Arbitration
People’s Law School
Explains that going to court over a family law problem can be stressful, time consuming, and expensive. Learn how to use mediation, collaborative negotiation, or arbitration to resolve issues without going to court. You can also find answers to some common questions.
Last reviewed March 2024
Early Resolution Process (Family Justice)
Government of British Columbia
The Provincial Court Family Rules introduced Early Resolution Registries, which applies to issues under the Family Law Act in certain locations. In these registries, there are early resolution requirements for family law matters in Provincial Court. This page tells you where the process applies, information about the process & the steps involved.
Last reviewed November 2024
Family Management Conference
Provincial Court of British Columbia
This article explains the Family Management Conference at the Provincial Court of BC. Includes definitions, steps for preparing yourself, what will happen at the conference, what happens if you need a trial, getting a copy of an order, and links to more details.
Last reviewed September 2024
If You Have to Go to Court
Legal Aid BC
Describes what to expect when you go to court for a conference, Chambers hearing, or trial. Includes how to prepare for court, and tips on what you can do and how you should act to make your case go smoothly.
Last reviewed March 2024
I’ve Been Served with a Court Form
Legal Aid BC
Step-by-step guides to help you figure out what to do if you’re the respondent in a family law case and you’ve been served with a court form.
Last reviewed March 2024
Before Trial: Judicial Case Conference
Supreme Court BC (Justice Education Society)
This guidebook introduces what a judicial case conference is, including which forms you will need.
Last reviewed March 2024
Schedule and Prepare for Your Supreme Court Trial
Legal Aid BC
A four-and-a-half-minute video that gives an overview of the steps leading up to a Supreme Court family law trial, including scheduling a trial, attending a Trial Management Conference, and filing and serving the necessary documents.
Last reviewed March 2024
Trials in Provincial Court
Legal Aid BC
Information about getting ready for a family law trial in Provincial Court, including what happens at a trial, how the courtroom is set up, how evidence is presented, and what goes in a trial book.
Last reviewed May 2024
Unbundled Legal Services
People’s Law School
This website is for people in British Columbia who are interested in unbundled legal services — a new service model for lower-cost legal help. You hire a lawyer to help with parts of your legal matter (rather than the whole file). You get the support you need at a manageable cost.
Last reviewed March 2024
Court Orders
Legal Aid BC
Step-by-step guides on how to get, change, enforce, appeal, or write court orders, plus information on what to do if your order was made outside BC or one of you leaves the province.
Last reviewed March 2024
Dial-a-Law: Enforcing Support Orders and Agreements
People’s Law School
Unfortunately, some parties who owe child support or spousal support fail to make their payments. Learn the steps to take to enforce payments owed under a support order or agreement.
Last reviewed March 2024
Family Maintenance Enforcement Program: How to Enrol
BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA)
BCFMA is a free service helping families and children get the support payments they’re entitled to. This web page explains how to enrol in the program and get an order, and what to expect after sending an application.
Last reviewed March 2024
Unbundled Legal Services
People’s Law School
This website is for people in British Columbia who are interested in unbundled legal services — a new service model for lower-cost legal help. You hire a lawyer to help with parts of your legal matter (rather than the whole file). You get the support you need at a manageable cost.
Last reviewed March 2024
JP Boyd on Family Law: Property & Debt
John-Paul Boyd, KC
This chapter provides information about the division of property and debt between married spouses and unmarried spouses and the steps you can take to protect family property.
Last reviewed March 2024
Parenting after Separation Handbook: Finances
Justice Education Society (JES)
This handbook builds on the information provided in the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course. That course focuses on the legal aspects of separating and how to make decisions that put the needs of the children first.
Last reviewed March 2024
JP Boyd on Family Law: Child Support
John-Paul Boyd, KC
This chapter provides an overview of child support and child support orders, and includes information about exceptions to the Federal Child Support Guidelines, how to make changes to child support, and how to deal with arrears of child support.
Last reviewed March 2024
JP Boyd on Family Law: Spousal Support
John-Paul Boyd, KC
This chapter provides an overview of the law on spousal support, and includes more detailed information about the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, how to make changes to spousal support, and how to deal with arrears of spousal support.
Last reviewed March 2024