Family Law Resource Manual For Community Based Advocates

359 Pages·2004·4.14 MB·English

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Society of
Transition Houses

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1. INTRODUCTION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................1.1
2. SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS & RESOURCES.............................................2.1
A. Aboriginal Women......................................................................................2.1
B. Immigrant Women.......................................................................................2.2
C. Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Women.............................................2.5
D. Disabled Women.........................................................................................2.6
E. Young or Older Women ...............................................................................2.6
F. Rural Women ..............................................................................................2.7
Appendix 2-A: Women-Serving Agencies in B.C...............................................2.9
Appendix 2-B: Information on the On-Reserve Matrimonial Home.................2.36
Appendix 2-C: Friendship Centres in B.C......................................................2.42
Appendix 2-D: Organizations Serving Immigrant Women in B.C....................2.45
Appendix 2-E: Organizations Serving Women with Disabilities......................2.67
3. LEGAL AID...................................................................................................3.1
A. Who is Eligible?..........................................................................................3.1
B. What Issues Can Legal Aid Help With?.......................................................3.4
C. Where to Go to Apply?................................................................................3.5
D. The Process for Applying............................................................................3.5
E. Tips for Making a Successful Legal Aid Application....................................3.6
F. Legal Aid Appeal Process............................................................................3.7
Appendix 3-A: Legal Aid Offices in B.C. ...........................................................3.8
4. OTHER LEGAL ASSISTANCE.......................................................................4.1
A. Choosing a Lawyer.....................................................................................4.1
B. Lawyer Referral Service..............................................................................4.2
C. Law Line.....................................................................................................4.3
D. Dial-A-Law.................................................................................................4.3
E. Family Duty Counsel..................................................................................4.4
F. Family Advice Lawyer Project......................................................................4.5
G. Supreme Court Family Advice Lawyer Project ............................................4.6
H. Pro Bono Services.......................................................................................4.6
I. Doing One’s Own Legal Research.................................................................4.8
(i) Online Resources.................................................................................4.12
J. Other........................................................................................................4.13
(i) Women-Serving Agencies .....................................................................4.13
(ii) Using an Agent.....................................................................................4.14
Appendix 4-A: Questions to Ask a Potential Lawyer.......................................4.15
5. ROLES & LIMITATIONS OF ADVOCATES & PROFESSIONALS.....................5.1
A. Family Justice Counsellors.........................................................................5.1
B. B.C. Assoc. of Specialized Victim Assistance & Counselling Programs........5.2
C. Counsellors................................................................................................5.3
D. Advocates...................................................................................................5.3
E. Mediators...................................................................................................5.3
6. THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COURT PROCESS...............................................6.1
A. Differences Between Criminal Court and Civil Court...................................6.2
B. Differences Between Family Court and Supreme Court..............................6.3
(i) Family Court..........................................................................................6.3
(ii) Supreme Court.......................................................................................6.4
(iii) Choosing a Court...................................................................................6.5
C. Steps in a Criminal Court Case..................................................................6.7
D. Steps in a Family Court Case...................................................................6.10
(i) General Steps.......................................................................................6.10
(ii) Interim Applications in Family Court....................................................6.16
(iii) Ex Parte Applications in Family Court..................................................6.17
E. Steps a Family Law Case Will Go Through in Supreme Court...................6.18
(i) General Steps.......................................................................................6.19
(ii) Interim Applications in Supreme Court................................................6.25
(iii) Applications Made Without Notice in Supreme Court...........................6.26
Appendix 6-A: Judicial Case Conferences in the Supreme Court....................6.27
7. PROTECTION ORDERS................................................................................7.1
A. Who Can Apply for Protection Orders & What Protection Do They Give.......7.3
(i) Peace Bond (Recognizance).....................................................................7.3
(ii) Conditions of Release from Police Custody, Release on Bail or Probation7.5
(iii) Order Restraining Harassment...............................................................7.7
(iv) Order Prohibiting Interference With a Child...........................................7.8
(v) Order Giving the Woman Temporary Occupancy of the Family Home...7.10
(vi) Restriction of Contact Order................................................................7.11
(vii) Order Restraining Harassment............................................................7.12
(viii) Protective Intervention Orders and Restraining Orders........................7.13
B. Criteria for Getting a Protection Order......................................................7.14
C. Tips for Applying for a Protection Order....................................................7.14
D. If the Woman Cannot Obtain a Restraining Order....................................7.15
(i) How to Get a Peace Bond .....................................................................7.15
(ii) The Hearing..........................................................................................7.16
E. The Protection Order Registry...................................................................7.17
Appendix 7-A: Forms of Restraining Orders...................................................7.19
8. COURT APPLICATIONS................................................................................8.1
A. Restraining Orders.....................................................................................8.1
B. Custody, Access & Guardianship...............................................................8.2
(i) Principles of Custody..............................................................................8.3
(ii) Principles of Access................................................................................8.4
(iii) How to Get a Custody Order...................................................................8.5
(iv) Enforcing a Custody Order.....................................................................8.6
(v) Enforcing an Access Order.....................................................................8.6
C. Child Support.............................................................................................8.7
(i) Definition of a Child...............................................................................8.9
D. Spousal Support......................................................................................8.10
(i) Principles of Spousal Support ..............................................................8.10
(ii) How to Obtain an Interim Order for Spousal Support...........................8.12
(iii) Changing a Spousal Support Order......................................................8.12
(iv) Women on Income Assistance..............................................................8.13
(v) Family Maintenance Enforcement Program..........................................8.14
E. Division of Assets and Debts....................................................................8.17
(i) Married Women and Family Property...................................................8.17
(ii) Unmarried Women and Family Property...............................................8.18
(iii) Preservation of Family Property............................................................8.20
(iv) Debts...................................................................................................8.22
F. Divorce.....................................................................................................8.22
(i) Types of Divorce Proceedings ...............................................................8.23
(ii) Do-It-Yourself Divorce..........................................................................8.24
G. Separation Agreements............................................................................8.25
(i) Making a Separation Agreement...........................................................8.25
(ii) Enforcing a Separation Agreement.......................................................8.26
(iii) Women on Income Assistance..............................................................8.27
Appendix 8-A: Federal Child Support Guidelines...........................................8.29
9. FILING A FAMILY ACTION............................................................................9.1
A. The Court Registry — What It Will and Won’t Help With.............................9.1
B. Filing Fees and Applications for Indigency..................................................9.2
C. Replying to a Family Court Application for an Order..................................9.3
D. Responding to Applications for Variation ...................................................9.4
E. The Importance of Filling out the Forms Properly.......................................9.4
F. Ideas for Getting Assistance With Forms....................................................9.5
G. Most Common Family Court Forms............................................................9.6
10. AFFIDAVITS...............................................................................................10.1
A. What Are They?........................................................................................10.1
B. Guidelines for Writing an Affidavit............................................................10.1
C. Filing an Affidavit at the Court Registry....................................................10.3
11. SERVING DOCUMENTS.............................................................................11.1
A. Whom Do the Documents Need to Be Served On? ....................................11.1
B. How To Serve Documents.........................................................................11.1
(i) Provincial (Family Court)......................................................................11.1
(ii) Supreme Court ....................................................................................11.3
12. GOING TO FAMILY COURT........................................................................12.1
A. What Each Person’s Role Is......................................................................12.1
B. What is Evidence?....................................................................................12.2
C. Tips for Presenting Oneself in Court.........................................................12.3
D. Tips for Answering Questions...................................................................12.4
E. Facing One’s Former Partner in Court......................................................12.5
F. Preparing for the Hearing.........................................................................12.6
(i) Know What Options the Judge Has When Dealing With the Case.........12.6
(ii) Collect the Evidence Needed.................................................................12.7
(iii) Prepare a Trial Book.............................................................................12.8
(iv) Know What Happens in Court............................................................12.10
Appendix 12-A: Going to Court....................................................................12.11
13. PRACTICAL TIPS ON SAFETY & APPLYING FOR INCOME ASSISTANCE....13.1
A. Creating a Safety Plan..............................................................................13.1
B. Some Key Steps to Take Emotionally, Legally & Financially .....................13.4
C. What To Do About Stalking/Harassment..................................................13.5
D. If a Woman is Charged With Assault........................................................13.8
E. How to Apply for Income Assistance.......................................................13.10
(i) The Process........................................................................................13.10
(ii) Hardship Assistance...........................................................................13.13
(iii) Appealing a Decision About Income Assistance..................................13.13
Appendix 13-A: Creating a Safety Plan.........................................................13.15
14. DEFINITIONS.............................................................................................14.1
A. Section 15 Family Relations Act — Custody and Access Assessment........14.1
B. Ex Parte Orders or Orders Made Without Notice.......................................14.1
C. Custody....................................................................................................14.4
D. Access......................................................................................................14.4
E. Guardianship...........................................................................................14.4
F. Peace Bond...............................................................................................14.5
G. Restraining Order.....................................................................................14.5
H. No-Contact Condition...............................................................................14.5
I. Breach......................................................................................................14.6
J. Common-Law Relationship.......................................................................14.6
K. Interim Order...........................................................................................14.6
L. Child Support Guidelines..........................................................................14.7
M. Family Maintenance Enforcement Program..............................................14.7
N. Supervised Access....................................................................................14.7
(i) What is it?............................................................................................14.7
(ii) Which Organizations Provide Supervised Access..................................14.8
Appendix 14-A: Family Justice Centres in B.C...............................................14.9
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The legal support for victims leaving abusive relationships has never been ideal.
However, with recent government cuts to services and to legal aid, we are seeing
more and more victims left stranded without legal or other help to know and
exercise their rights.

People having to face the family law process without a lawyer is a reality. The
purpose of this manual is to provide community-based service providers who deal
with victims of domestic violence with a general resource relating to family law. By
community-based service providers we mean community-based victim assistance
programs, Stopping the Violence programs, transition houses and women’s
centres. This manual is very general in nature and provides initial direction and
guidance for further inquiry. We have assumed that the user of this manual
understands the difference between the civil legal system and the criminal justice
system.

The premise of the manual is based upon the old adage that knowledge is power.
With some initial information and direction from the community-based service
providers, the victim will be able to take further steps to empower herself or himself
in the legal process. All that said, a word of warning to the victim is advised: the
civil legal system (family legal process) is another way for the abuser to exert more
control and abuse. The victim needs to be aware of this fact and be prepared
emotionally.

It is very important that a victim be informed that the way things are done can
differ from place to place within the province and, as in life, sometimes things just
aren’t done as they are supposed to be. Again, this manual is a general guide.

For the sake of ease and clarity throughout this manual, we have used the premise
that a woman is the victim, therefore speak of she, her and the woman. Likewise,
the abusive partner has been referred to as male, with corresponding pronouns of
he, his or him. However, we do not wish to convey that only women are victims
and only men are abusers. We are all well aware that men can be the victims of
domestic violence and that women can be abusers.

Despite everything that is set out in this manual, a community-based service
provider’s first concern is how to help the victim keep safe. The victim may not
realize that the period of leaving the relationship is the most dangerous time, as
are the following 18 months. When a victim comes for assistance to obtain a
restraining order, a community-based service provider’s first step is still a safety
assessment, as well as to help her make a safety plan.

________________________________________________________________________________________________
These materials are current as of August, 2003. The information contained in this manual can
change. Please update the information from source materials.
This manual provides some general legal information. It is not intended as legal advice. Please
contact a lawyer for specific legal advice.
1.1
We wish to encourage all community-based service providers to develop and
participate in a coordinated community response network. Studies have shown
that coordinated community responses help reduce the incidence of violence in
relationships. The more that we can ensure that all players — we as service
providers, the civil legal and criminal justice system, the community at large —
coordinate to prevent and condemn domestic violence, the safer our communities
will be from domestic violence and its consequences.

Finally, the manual provides general legal information only. It does not provide
legal advice. For specific legal advice, a lawyer must be consulted.

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In preparing these manuals, many people and many resources have been
consulted. We wish to thank everyone who has participated in the creation of these
materials.

We wish to first and foremost thank the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and
Women’s Services for providing the initial funding that made this manual possible.
We wish to also thank the Legal Services Society for its subsequent funding and for
its support in creating this manual, and for the use of “Legal Processes for Battered
Women.” We have relied heavily on this as well as on various other Legal Services
Society resources which have informed the material in this document, particularly
the LSS Family Law in BC website, which has been liberally relied upon and
referred to in these materials.

Several people read through the entire draft manual and provided input, insight
and guidance which gave greater breadth to the information. We thank Karen
Hewitt, BC/Y Society of Transition Houses; Angela Marie MacDougall and other
staff from Battered Women’s Support Services; and Gisela Ruebsaat (CCWS), Tracy
Porteous, Carol Ross, Lorraine Senagiotto and Jennifer Woods of the BC
Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling Programs.

Special thanks are owed to Sherry MacLennan and Lois Shelton of the Legal
Services Society, who reviewed the entire manual and provided critical input based
on their great knowledge and experience. Also of LSS is Carol McEown, who shared
our vision of the importance of this resource, who allowed us to use other LSS
material in the body of the manual and who supported this project throughout its
development.

We are also indebted to Pat Keln, who had the vision and inspired us to create this
resource, and who wrote the very first draft. Laura Lundie, the multi-talented,
hard-working ex–family law lawyer, is also owed our major thanks and has our
great appreciation and respect for taking the first draft and writing volumes more
material in the hope that this manual would assist those on the front line to be
better able to help women in need of family law assistance. Thank you Laura!

________________________________________________________________________________________________
These materials are current as of August, 2003. The information contained in this manual can
change. Please update the information from source materials.
This manual provides some general legal information. It is not intended as legal advice. Please
contact a lawyer for specific legal advice.
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