Who these guides are for and how they work

Who these guides are for

These do-it-yourself guides are for people who:

• cannot agree with the other party about how to change an order about custody, access, guardianship, and/or child or spousal support, AND
• want to change an order that was originally made in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, OR
• want to respond to an application to change (make a variation to) an order that was made in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

However, if either party lives outside of BC, you may not be able to use these guides. Please contact a lawyer for advice.

Important: If you have a family law case in the Duncan, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Vancouver, or Victoria Supreme Courts, read this information about applying for mediation before continuing with these guides.

How these guides work

These guides include:

• information about and step-by step instructions on changing a Supreme Court family order,
• instructions about which forms to use and what to do with them,
• blank forms with instructions for filling them out, and
• information about what happens when you go to court, and how to represent yourself if you don't have a lawyer.

The process of applying to change an order is quite complex. Read through all of these instructions before you begin so that you understand the information you need to collect, the documents and forms you need to prepare, the time periods you have to work with, and what you can expect in court. Once you're familiar with the instructions, fill out the forms you need. You can fill out the forms online, or print them and fill them out by hand (print neatly using dark-coloured ink).

Which guide should I use?

If you're applying to change a final family order (e.g., for custody, guardianship, access, or support), you're the applicant. Choose the guide on the left.

If you're responding to an application to change a final family order (e.g., for custody, guardianship, access, or support), you're the respondent. Choose the guide on the right.