On October 3, the BC government amended the Family Law Act (FLA) and the Provincial Court Family Rules via two concurrent Orders in Council: 544/2023 and 545/2023.
Order in Council 544/2023 brings into force amendments to Part 5 – Property Division and Part 10 – Court Processes of the FLA under the Family Law Amendment Act, 2023. These amendments include clarifying who can make agreements and orders about companion animals, defining “companion animals”, identifying factors to consider in making these agreements or orders, and updates to the relevant court practices.
Order in Council 545/2023 amends the Provincial Court Family Rules to set out processes for property division in respect of a companion animal. This will take effect on January 15, 2024. The updated forms will be available on the government website.
Improving family law in BC is a vital part of CBABC’s Agenda for Justice 2021. CBABC has provided the Ministry with a variety of recommendations leading up to and following the enactment of the Family Law Act in 2013. This includes our recent submission on property division and spousal support, which recommended the FLA set out provisions for pet custody.
Have questions? Email advocacy@cbabc.org.