British Columbia Law
Family Law Solutions Anywhere in BC
Sea to Sky Law™ has multiple service areas and decades of successful experience helping thousands of different people solve their family law issues — from Squamish to Sechelt, Surrey to Saanich, Sapperton to Sumas to Sardis, and everywhere in between.
Like our tagline states, we help you with Strength, Strategies, Solutions: we support you with the Strength of our experience, we provide you with Strategies to address what can be a very stressful conflict, and we solve your problems with trusted legal Solutions for every dispute or legal issue.
The Law That Governs Your Family
Family law rights and obligations in British Columbia are defined by statute — and the first step in any family law matter is identifying which statute applies to you.
If you were legally married, two statutes apply:
- The federal Divorce Act: Governs divorce and all issues incident to divorce — parenting arrangements, child support, and spousal support — for legally married couples. Only a court can grant a divorce, and at least one spouse must have been ordinarily resident in BC for at least one year before the divorce petition is filed.
- The provincial Family Law Act (FLA): Governs guardianship, parenting responsibilities, parenting time, child and spousal support, and the division of family property and debt for all BC residents — whether married or not.
If you were not legally married but lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least two consecutive years, the FLA is your primary statute. Common-law spouses in BC have many of the same rights and obligations as married spouses with respect to parenting, child support, and spousal support.
Property division for unmarried spouses, however, is governed by the FLA's Part 5 provisions, which differ from the Divorce Act's treatment of married spouses in some important ways.
You need a lawyer to explain how the relevant case law applies to the specific facts of your situation. General information — including what you read online — is not legal advice.
All of British Columbia, Including Remote Communities
BC is an enormous province. Many of our clients live outside major urban centres — in the Sea to Sky Corridor, the Fraser Valley, the Interior, Vancouver Island, and Northern BC. Historically, access to experienced family law advice has been unequal: clients in remote communities faced long travel times, high costs, and limited local options.
Sea to Sky Law™ has changed that for our clients. Using secure virtual meeting technology, we provide the same quality of legal advice and representation to clients in Smithers, Terrace, Fort St. John, 100 Mile House, or any other BC community that we provide to clients who can reach our Sapperton office by phone or secure video.
We can be your lawyer for any family law matter in any BC court — Provincial Court (Family) or BC Supreme Court — regardless of where in BC you live.
What We Help With
Our family law services cover every aspect of the FLA and Divorce Act, including:
- Separation agreements — comprehensive, enforceable written agreements settling all issues on separation
- Parenting arrangements — Guardianship, Parenting Responsibilities, and Parenting Time under the FLA
- Child support — calculated under the mandatory federal Child Support Guidelines
- Spousal support — assessed under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
- Division of family property and debt — including the family home, pension assets, business interests, and excluded property
- Protection orders — under Part 9 of the FLA
- Mediation and ADR — Andrew Liggett holds the Law Society of BC's Family Law ADR Professional designation, covering both Family Law Mediator and Arbitrator designations
- Court representation — Provincial Court, BC Supreme Court, and BC Court of Appeal
Andrew Liggett's Experience
Andrew Liggett BA JD CD founded Sea to Sky Law™ in 1991 on the North Shore and has practised family law in BC for over 35 years. He has represented clients at all levels of BC's court system, drafted thousands of separation and parenting agreements, and resolved hundreds of disputes through mediation and arbitration.
His military background (CD — Canadian Forces Decoration) brings a discipline and strategic perspective that serves clients well in the most complex and high-conflict family law situations.
Whether you need full legal representation, a limited-scope DIY Support Services retainer, or a one-time consultation to understand your rights, Sea to Sky Law™ is here — anywhere in BC. Contact us today.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Meetings are by appointment only, by phone or secure video.