How to Respond to Divorce Papers in BC

You Have 30 Days From the Date You Were Served

When someone files a sole divorce application in BC Supreme Court and has you personally served with a Notice of Family Claim (Form F3), a clock starts. You have exactly 30 calendar days from the date of service to file a Response to Family Claim (Form F4) at the Supreme Court registry.

If you do not file a response within that window, the claimant can proceed with a desk order divorce — a paper-based process where a judge grants the divorce without a hearing. Not responding does not itself mean that you consent to every claim; it means the claimant may proceed without your response, subject to the judge's review of the package.

When You Should File a Response

Filing a Response (Form F4) makes sense when you disagree with something in the Notice of Family Claim. That could be the proposed parenting arrangements, the spousal support request, the property division, or even the separation date (which affects the one-year timeline and what counts as family property).

Filing a response converts the divorce from uncontested to contested. This means the claimant cannot use the streamlined desk order process. The case instead moves toward either negotiation, mediation, or a court hearing — which takes longer and costs more for both sides, but protects your ability to argue for different terms.

When You Might Choose Not to Respond

If you agree with the divorce and with the terms in the Notice of Family Claim, doing nothing is a valid choice. The claimant proceeds with the desk order, a judge reviews the paper file, and the divorce is granted without either of you appearing in court.

Many respondents in uncontested divorces deliberately choose not to file a response because both spouses have already agreed on everything through a separation agreement. The sole filing path with no response is simply the procedural vehicle to finalize what was already negotiated.

How to File a Response

Form F4 is available from the BC Supreme Court website. You complete it by addressing each claim in the Notice of Family Claim — agreeing, disagreeing, or proposing different terms. If you want to make your own claims (for example, requesting a different property division or different parenting schedule), you can file a Counterclaim (Form F5) alongside the response.

File the completed Form F4 at the same Supreme Court registry where the original claim was filed. The court file number is on the Notice of Family Claim you were served. There is a filing fee for the response. You must also serve a copy of your filed response on the claimant.

What Happens After You File

Once a response is on file, the desk order path is off the table. The case enters the standard Supreme Court family law stream, where both parties exchange financial disclosure (Form F8 Financial Statements), attend a judicial case conference, and work toward either a negotiated settlement or a trial.

If at any point during this process you and your spouse resolve your disagreements, you can consent to the divorce by filing a joint application or by withdrawing the contested issues and allowing the desk order to proceed.

Understanding Both Sides of the Process

Whether you are the one filing or the one responding, the British Columbia Divorce Filing Process Guide walks through the full procedural sequence — including what happens when a response is filed, the timelines for each stage, and how to transition from a contested track back to an uncontested desk order if you reach an agreement.

See more British Columbia guides →