BC Form 17 Consent Order Explained

Why this guide exists

I went through the BC family-law process myself and found the forms much harder to understand than they needed to be. Once I understood what each form was actually asking for, the process became much easier to manage. These guides explain the forms in plain English.

Based on lived experience and checked against current official BC forms and rules. Not legal advice.

What this form is really for

Use Form 17 when the parties are applying for a family-law order by consent. The judge reviews the application without the parties attending, and the package must include the draft Consent Order Form 18 plus the supporting documents required for the type of order.

Do not use it like this: An agreement in conversation or text messages is not the same thing as a complete consent-order package. The form is designed for an actual agreed order with the required supporting material. The judge still reviews the proposed order.

Part 1 — Parties joining in the consent request

Identify everyone who is applying for the consent order. This is a joint request, not one party asking the judge to impose something on the other.

Part 2 — What family-law matter is agreed

Choose the agreed subject: parenting, child support, contact, guardianship, spousal support or companion-animal issues. The supporting-document route changes depending on what was already filed in the case.

Schedules

If the required facts are not already in a Form 3/6 filing, Form 17 may direct you to complete its own schedule so the judge has enough information to assess the proposed order.

Financial material for support

For child support or spousal support, the form identifies financial statements or income agreements that may be required. Do not assume “we both agree” means financial disclosure is irrelevant.

Form 18 — Draft Consent Order

Form 17 is the application. Form 18 is the actual draft order you want the judge to sign. Both matter.

Judge review

Consent does not automatically guarantee the order will be signed exactly as drafted. The court still reviews the proposed order and supporting material.

Common mistakes to watch for

Filing Form 17 without a properly drafted Form 18.
Assuming consent removes the need for supporting documents.
Not providing the financial/income material required for support orders.
Using a consent process when the wording of the actual order is still disputed.
Writing the draft order vaguely instead of making the obligations/parenting terms clear enough to enforce.

What happens after you fill it out?

1. File Form 17 together with the signed draft Form 18 and any additional documents the type of order requires. Consent does not remove disclosure or guardianship-document requirements that otherwise apply.

2. The package is placed before a judge, or a family justice manager where that officer has jurisdiction, without the parties ordinarily attending.

3. The decision-maker can do more than simply sign or refuse. The Rules allow the court to approve the order, request more information or evidence, require an appearance, or propose changes that the parties would still have to consent to.

4. If the consent order is made, the registry provides a filed copy. If the application is rejected, keep the reasons: the Rules require those reasons to accompany a later related consent-order application.