Urgent BC Family Court applications: Forms 11, 12 and 15
Three BC Provincial Court forms can appear in urgent situations, but they do very different jobs. Here is how to tell them apart before you choose a process.
BC court forms and procedures can change, and the correct step depends on your facts, the order you want and the registry handling your file. Use the current official BC court form and guidebook before filing. Registry staff can provide procedural information but cannot give legal advice.
Official BC forms and sources
“Urgent” is not one single BC Family Court procedure
BC Provincial Court has different procedures for different urgent or time-sensitive problems. Three forms are commonly confused: Form 15 for a defined priority parenting matter, Form 11 for certain case-management requests without notice or attendance, and Form 12 for Family Law Act protection orders.
They are not interchangeable. Choosing the right route starts with identifying the kind of order you actually need.
Which form might fit your situation?
| Form | Usually used for | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Form 11 | Specified case-management requests without notice or attendance; also certain requests to waive or shorten notice. | Not a general-purpose urgent family-law application. |
| Form 12 | Applying for, changing or terminating a Family Law Act protection order. | Focused on family violence and safety, not ordinary parenting disagreements. |
| Form 15 | A priority parenting matter that fits the categories defined in the rules. | Not every time-sensitive parenting disagreement qualifies. |
This is a quick orientation only. Read the current official form and guidebook before filing.
Form 15: priority parenting matters
Form 15 is for the specific matters the rules define as “priority parenting matters.” Examples include some time-sensitive health-care consent issues, certain passport/travel or activity-consent disputes where the statutory conditions are met, and other defined parenting situations. The form itself warns that a priority parenting matter is not the same thing as any family-law issue that simply feels urgent.
Under the current rules, a priority-parenting application can proceed before some ordinary early-resolution steps. Notice is normally required, but Rule 78 provides a route to ask that notice be waived or modified using Form 11.
How much notice? The official Form 15 normally calls for at least seven days’ notice of the court appearance to the other party. If you need an earlier hearing or permission to proceed without notice, Form 15 instructs you to apply using Form 11 as well. The court decides whether to allow that request.
Form 11: certain case-management requests without notice or attendance
Form 11 is a procedural form. Rule 65 allows specified case-management orders to be requested without notice to the other parties or without attending court. The decision-maker can grant the request, require more information, direct that the parties attend, require notice, or reject the application.
Form 11 is also used under Rule 78 when a party asks to waive or modify the notice requirement for a priority-parenting application. It is not a general shortcut for every urgent family-law order.
Form 12: protection orders
Form 12 is used to apply for a Family Law Act protection order, or to ask to change or terminate an existing Provincial Court protection order. The BC government’s current guidebook says a protection-order application may be made with notice or without notice. If it is made without notice, the applicant must explain why notice is not being given.
Protection-order applications deal with family violence and personal safety. They are different from ordinary parenting disagreements. If there is an immediate safety emergency, contact police or emergency services rather than relying on an online guide.
Before you choose a form
- What order do you need? Write down exactly what you want the court to decide. The order determines the form.
- Does the form cover that request? Check the official form’s description and any restrictions before you start filling it in.
- Does the other party need notice? Do not assume that an urgent situation automatically lets you proceed without notice.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating “urgent” as a single form category. Forms 11, 12 and 15 serve different legal and procedural purposes.
- Using Form 11 as a general urgent-motion form. Form 11 is for specified case-management orders without notice or attendance and for certain notice requests, not every urgent family-law order.
- Using Form 15 for any pressing parenting disagreement. Priority parenting matters are specifically defined by the rules; the fact that a dispute feels urgent does not automatically make it a Form 15 matter.
- Confusing a protection-order application with an ordinary parenting dispute. Form 12 is about protection from family violence under the Family Law Act.
- Assuming “without notice” is automatic. The court decides whether an application can proceed without notice or on shortened notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Form 11 the form for every urgent family-law application?
No. Form 11 is a case-management form for specified requests. It can also be used to ask to waive or shorten notice for a Form 15 priority-parenting application. Other urgent situations use different forms and rules.
Does Form 15 cover every urgent parenting dispute?
No. Form 15 is limited to the priority parenting matters defined by the Provincial Court Family Rules. The official form and guidebook should be checked against the problem you are dealing with.
Can a Form 12 protection-order application be made without notice?
Yes, an applicant can ask to proceed without notice, but the judge decides whether the application will be heard without notice, whether notice is required, or whether the notice period should be shortened.
What if someone is in immediate danger?
An online form guide is not an emergency service. If there is immediate danger, contact police or emergency services. For legal procedure, use the current official BC court materials and seek legal advice where possible.
What to prepare before filing
Urgent applications are usually easier to understand when the facts are organized around the legal order being requested: what happened, when it happened, why waiting matters, what order you want, and what documents or evidence support those facts. The official guidebooks for Forms 11, 12 and 15 should be read before filing because each form has its own evidence and notice requirements.