Glossary of Legal Terms

Parenting time is the time a child spends with a guardian. During that time, the guardian is responsible for the child’s care and makes day-to-day decisions.

A payor is the person who must make support payments under an agreement or court order. The term is commonly used for child support and spousal support matters.

A protection order is a court order made to help protect a person and, in some cases, a child from family violence. It can place conditions or restrictions on the person the order is made against.

Provincial Court is one of the courts that deals with many family law matters in British Columbia. Its jurisdiction depends on the type of family issue involved.

A recipient is the person who receives support payments under an agreement or court order. The term is commonly used in child support and spousal support matters.

A respondent is the person responding to a court application or claim brought by someone else. In family law matters, the respondent answers the claims made by the applicant.

In B.C. family law, separation begins when spouses decide not to live together as a couple anymore. There is no separate legal status called a ‘legal separation’ in order to be considered separated.

A separation agreement is a written contract that says how separated spouses or partners will deal with parenting, support, property, and debt. It helps make each person’s rights and duties clear and can reduce future conflict if both sides understand and follow it.

Spousal support is money one spouse may have to pay the other after separation under an agreement or court order. The amount and duration depend on the facts of the relationship and the law.

A spouse is a person who is married to another person, and in some family law contexts can also include an unmarried partner who meets the legal test for a marriage-like relationship. The exact meaning can depend on the issue involved.

A support order is a court order requiring one person to pay child support, spousal support, or both. It sets the legal obligation to make the payments.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia can deal with divorce, property division, support, parenting issues, and other family law matters. Some issues, such as divorce, must go through Supreme Court.