(LPRS)Get first appearance date

Get first appearance date

To get your first appearance date, you may have to fulfill a couple of requirements first, depending on where you filed your documents.

If you filed in one of the communities listed here and you don't fulfill these requirements, you'll need a court order excusing you from these requirements to get a court date.

Rule 21 registries

  • Abbotsford
  • Campbell River
  • Chilliwack
  • Courtenay
  • Kamloops
  • Kelowna
  • Nanaimo
  • New Westminster
  • North Vancouver
  • Penticton
  • Port Coquitlam
  • Prince George
  • Richmond
  • Surrey
  • Vancouver (Robson Square)
  • Vernon
  • Victoria

Rule 5 registries

  • Kelowna
  • Nanaimo
  • Surrey
  • Vancouver (Robson Square)
  1. You must take a Parenting After Separation class.
  2. You must file at the registry:
  3. The Family Court clerk will send out a Notice of Hearing (Form 3) that will tell you when you need to appear in court. This is called a first appearance.
If you don't take the Parenting After Separation class, you need a court order excusing you from this requirement to get a court date. If you don't file the certificate or have a court order, you won't get a court date.
  1. You must attend a Parenting After Separation class and meet with a family justice counsellor before you can have a court hearing.
  2. You must file at the registry:
  3. The Family Court clerk will send out a first appearance date, even if the other person hasn't filed a Reply (Form 3).
If you don't meet with a family justice counsellor and attend a Parenting After Separation class, you need a court order excusing you from these requirements to get a court date. If you don't file the certificate and confirmation or have a court order, you won't get a court date.

The court clerk will automatically mail you a Notice of Hearing that contains the first appearance date after the other person files their Reply (Form 3). You don't need to do anything further.

Updated on 4 October 2019