The judge will tell you what to do next
The judge might tell you to attend another family management conference, a family settlement conference, or a trial preparation conference.
What happens at a family settlement conference?
A family settlement conference (FSC) is a private, informal one-hour meeting between:
- you,
- the other person involved in your case (the law calls them the other party),
- a Provincial Court judge, and
- your lawyers, if you have any.
At an FSC, the judge will help you try to sort out some or all of your issues. It's a good chance for you and your spouse to try to settle the issues affecting your children.
The judge might make suggestions about things you can do to sort out your issues, but you don't have to do what they suggest.
If you don't agree with what the judge is suggesting and think a different judge might make a different order, you can:
- refuse to do what the judge at the FSC suggests, and
- go to trial, where the judge might make an order that works better for you.
What happens at a trial preparation conference?
At a trial preparation conference:
- Your matter will usually be on a list with many other matters in court. You'll probably only be in front of a judge for 5 to 15 minutes.
- The judge might make orders about things such as:
- exchanging witness lists
- exchanging summaries of what each witness will say
- exchanging other documents either of you plan to use at trial
What happens if you're not ready for trial?
If you don’t have all the documents or witnesses you need, the judge will likely adjourn (delay) the trial date to give you time to prepare.