British Columbia
3 lawyers whose firms cover family work in Victoria. Each lawyer was checked on their provincial law society's public directory before being listed — check again before you hire, as people move firms. Browsing Lawvoo is free.
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John van Cuylenborg · Partner · Family · Victoria
1175 Douglas Street, 7th Floor, Victoria, BC V8W 2E1
Partner whose practice covers commercial and residential real estate, the purchase and sale of businesses, and wills, estates and trusts. The firm also covers family law and employment law.
Sharon Cartmill-Lane · Managing Director, Employment & Labour · Family · Victoria
19 Dallas Road, Suite 201, Victoria, BC V8V 5A6
Managing director of the firm, practising employment and human rights law and conducting workplace investigations. Her firm says she has more than 25 years' experience and has been called to the bar in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. The firm also covers family law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Alison Rhynas · Partner, Family Law · Family · Victoria
931 Fort Street, 4th Floor, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3
Family law partner who represents clients in the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court and negotiates out-of-court settlements. The firm also covers immigration, employment law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Divorce and separation, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, and dividing property. Divorce follows the federal Divorce Act; property division comes from BC's Family Law Act, which also covers unmarried couples who have lived together for at least two years.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in British Columbia for a full year before applying.
Under BC's Family Law Act, couples generally share equally any property acquired during their relationship. Property each person brought into the relationship is kept, but its increase in value can be divided. The time limit to ask a court for an order is two years after a divorce order for married couples, or two years from the date of separation for unmarried couples.
Yes, if they lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least two years. BC's property division rules apply to them in the same way as to married couples. This is different from some other provinces, such as Ontario.
For Victoria, both the Supreme Court and the Provincial Court sit at the Victoria Law Courts, 850 Burdett Avenue. Divorce and property division go to the Supreme Court; parenting, support and protection orders can also be dealt with by the Provincial Court. In BC only the Supreme Court can deal with divorce and property division; the Provincial Court can deal with parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support and protection orders.
To practise law in British Columbia a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows their practising status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Listings are provided for information only and are not legal advice or a recommendation. Always check a lawyer in the Law Society of British Columbia's Lawyer Directory before hiring them. Looking for a different area? Browse all practice areas.