Bill 16, the Family Law Act, received Royal Assent and became law in British Columbia on 24 November 2011.

Although some parts of the new act are in force now, most of the act, in fact all of the really important parts, won't come into force for another 12 or 18 months.

This delay will give me, and everyone else in the province, a lot of time to absorb what the changes mean and figure out how the new act will affect the rules and principles of family law. As we get closer to the act coming fully into force, I will be integrating the changes into this website, and adding a new Family Law Act 101 page. This will be a long and cumbersome process, but I expect to get all the changes made in time.

In the meantime, before this website is fully updated, you can keep tabs on the new law through my blog — start with the post "Family Law Act Introduced!" and click on the "Family Law Act" label for newer posts. My post "Family Law Act Receives Royal Assent" will tell you what parts of the act are in force now. I keep my blog fairly up to date and will post updates, news and notices about the Family Law Act as they come to my attention. You'll also find a link to the new act, a digest of the most important changes, and information about the background of the act and the public consultation process.

Remember that the new act does not change the federal Divorce Act or its application in British Columbia, and that the Family Relations Act, and all the case law interpreting that act, remains the law in this province until it is repealed by the coming into force of the Family Law Act.

If you have any questions about the new act, please post them as comments to my blog or drop me a line through the Feedback page of this website.

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Copyright © 2011 John-Paul Boyd. All rights reserved other than as authorized by licence.