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Government

Ministry of Justice

Why should I go?

You should go to a Parenting After Separation session because no matter how amicable your separation is, no matter how easy it seems, this kind of major change in your life is going to be difficult, both for you and for your children.

You should also go because it is required in many larger communities before you can go to the Provincial Court to obtain or change a child support, custody, guardianship or access order. (Parents may go to either the Provincial Court or the Supreme Court for an order. To determine which court you should go to, we recommend you talk to a lawyer. A family justice counsellor can also provide you with information about the courts.) You will not be asked to attend the same session as your former spouse.

Participating in a Parenting After Separation session is required in Abbotsford, Campbell River, Chilliwack, Courtney, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Penticton, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, Vernon and Victoria. Court staff will schedule a Provincial Court appearance only after you or your former spouse have filed a certificate of attendance or you receive an official exemption. (Please see Do I have to take Parenting After Separation? for more information about exemptions.)

For other parents - including parents who are going to Provincial Court in Nelson or Powell River and parents who have come to an agreement without court - attendance at a Parenting After Separation session is voluntary. Some sessions in the Lower Mainland are offered in Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi; these sessions are also voluntary.

In response to new Supreme Court family rules encouraging out-of-court dispute resolution, parents in Supreme Court may be invited by judges to attend Parenting After Separation sessions on a voluntary basis.

For parents in smaller, rural communities where Parenting After Separation is not available, your local public library may carry the Parenting After Separation Home Study Package.