British Columbia Law

How Sea to Sky Law™ Solves BC Family Law Issues

By Andrew Liggett, Sea to Sky Law, New Westminster, BC

The family home is almost always the most significant — and most emotionally charged — asset in a BC separation. Both the financial stakes and the personal attachment are high, and the legal rules governing what happens to the family home are specific and sometimes surprising. Getting proper legal advice early can protect your rights and prevent costly mistakes.

The Starting Point: Equal Division Under the FLA

Under Part 5 of BC's Family Law Act (FLA), family property is presumed to be divided equally between spouses on separation — regardless of whose name appears on the title, and regardless of who contributed more financially. This is a default rule, and it applies unless the spouses agree otherwise in a valid separation agreement or the court orders a different division.

The family home — defined in the FLA as the property that was ordinarily occupied as a family residence at the time of separation — is almost always family property subject to this equal division rule.

This is true even if the home was owned by one spouse before the relationship began, with one important exception: the increase in value of the home during the relationship is family property, even if the original equity is excluded.

Excluded Property: What Can Be Kept Separate?

Under s. 85 of the FLA, certain property is "excluded" from family property division:

• Property owned before the relationship began
• Inheritances received during the relationship
• Gifts received from third parties (not from the other spouse)
• Proceeds of certain insurance policies
• Court awards for personal injury damages (excluding loss of income during the relationship)

However, the excluded property rules work differently for the family home than for other assets. Even if one spouse owned the home before the relationship began, its entire current value may become family property if the other spouse contributed to it — through mortgage payments, renovations, or simply through the marriage making it the family home over many years.

Understanding exactly what is excluded, what is family property, and what the net family property to be divided actually is requires proper financial disclosure and legal analysis.

The Right to Remain in the Family Home

Separation does not automatically determine who stays in the family home. Both spouses may have the right to live there, even if only one name is on the title. Under the FLA, courts can make interim orders for exclusive occupancy of the family home — allowing one spouse to remain in the home (often with the children) pending the final resolution of property division.

Exclusive occupancy does not determine who ultimately receives the home. It simply manages the practical question of who lives there in the interim.

Options for the Family Home on Separation

When the time comes for a final resolution, there are typically three options:

1. One spouse buys out the other: The home is professionally appraised, any mortgages and costs are deducted, and the remaining equity is divided. One spouse pays the other their share (often using refinancing) and takes full ownership.
2. The home is sold: Both spouses agree to sell (or the court orders a sale), the net proceeds are divided according to the property division agreement or court order, and both spouses move on.
3. Deferred sale: In some cases — particularly where young children are involved — the court may order that the family home be maintained for a period of time (for example, until the youngest child finishes school) before being sold and the proceeds divided.

Protecting Your Rights from Day One

Important steps to take at the time of separation:

• Do not vacate the family home without legal advice — leaving voluntarily can affect your interim rights in some circumstances
• Do not remove significant assets from the home without consent or a court order
• Obtain a current appraisal of the property
• Gather evidence of contributions to the home (mortgage payment history, renovation invoices, etc.)
• File a Certificate of Pending Litigation (CPL) if your property interest is at risk — this protects against the other spouse selling or mortgaging the property without your consent

Andrew Liggett's Approach

Andrew Liggett BA JD CD has decades of successful experience representing clients throughout BC in all levels of court — Provincial Court, BC Supreme Court, and the BC Court of Appeal — on property division matters including the family home. Sea to Sky Law™ offers both DIY Support Services (limited-scope retainers for specific tasks) and Traditional Full Service retainers depending on your needs and goals.

If you are separating and the family home is part of the picture, contact Sea to Sky Law™ as early as possible. The decisions made in the first weeks of separation can have lasting consequences for your property rights. We serve all of BC — virtually.

Protecting Your Interests in the First Weeks of Separation

The first weeks after separation are legally critical. Key steps to protect your interests include:

• Document everything. Note the date of separation in writing. Take photographs of the family home and its contents. Gather account statements and property valuations as of the separation date.
• Do not remove assets or drain accounts. Courts take a very dim view of spouses who deplete marital assets after separation. Doing so can result in an unfavourable property division order.
• Get independent legal advice before signing anything. A separation agreement signed without proper legal advice may not be enforceable — and may give away rights you did not know you had.
• Consider whether you need to protect your credit. If joint credit accounts exist, monitor them and consider whether to close them or limit access.
• Do not assume you know what you are entitled to. The law may give you more — or different — rights than you expect.

Sea to Sky Law™ offers free intake calls so you can understand your options before you commit to any course of action.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Meetings are by appointment only, by phone or secure video.