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 6 when you have been served with an Application About a Family Law Matter and you want to formally respond. The Form 3 materials say a reply is generally due within 30 days after service.
Parts 1–3 — Parties, relationship and children
Confirm what is correct and identify what you say is wrong. If the application’s child information is incorrect, provide the correct information rather than simply checking “disagree.”
Existing orders and agreements
Respond to the application’s information about existing family orders/agreements and safety-related orders. Attach what the form requires.
Reply schedules
The schedules are where you respond issue by issue. Agreement, disagreement and the orders you say should be made need to be clear enough for the other party and court to understand.
Counter-application
If you want the court to make an order that the other party did not ask for, the counter-application part is where your own request may come in. That can trigger a Form 8 response from the other party.
Financial disclosure
If the application is about child support or spousal support, the form says a Financial Statement Form 4 must also be filed, subject to the applicable support rules.
Deadline
Treat the 30-day reply period seriously. The Form 3 notice warns that if no reply is filed in time, the case can move forward without you receiving notice of later steps and orders can be made in your absence.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Missing the 30-day reply period.
- Only saying what you disagree with and forgetting to say what result you want.
- Wanting your own order but not completing the counter-application material.
- Forgetting Form 4 when support is part of the application.
- Not checking the original Form 3 carefully while completing the reply — Form 6 expects you to respond to that application.
What happens after you fill it out?
1. First check whether the Form 3 was filed in an early-resolution registry. If it was, the current Rules generally require the replying party to complete the applicable early-resolution requirements before filing Form 6, unless an exception applies. Those requirements include a needs assessment, parenting education and at least one consensual dispute-resolution session where applicable.
2. Do not lose sight of the 30-day reply deadline. Form 6 and any required Form 4 must be filed within 30 days after you were served with the Form 3. If early-resolution steps apply, contact the appropriate family-justice service promptly rather than waiting until the deadline is close.
3. If you counter-apply for your own orders, the other party may have to respond to that counter-application. Form 6 is not limited to “agree/disagree”; it can also contain your own request for orders that were not in the original application.
4. After the reply stage, the case normally moves toward a Family Management Conference. The FMC is usually the first court appearance on a Family Law Act application. The judge or family justice manager can identify the issues, make case-management directions and in some situations make interim or consent orders.