Serve Provincial Court documents

There are two ways to serve documents in a Provincial Court family case:

  • Personal service: someone must physically hand the document to the person who needs to receive it. You can't do this yourself — you must have another adult serve it for you.
  • Delivery: the document can be dropped off, mailed, faxed, or emailed to the other person's address for service.

Some documents must be served by personal service.

Only these Provincial Court documents must be served personally:

  • Application to Obtain an Order (Form 1)
  • Application Respecting Existing Orders or Agreements (Form 2)
  • Order to Recognize an Extraprovincial Order for Guardianship, Parenting Arrangements or Contact (Form 22)
  • a request for court enforcement under the Family Maintenance Enforcement Act
  • a subpoena
  • a summons
  • a protection order

All other Provincial Court documents can be served by delivery.

There are specific rules for service on the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (and in some other special situations, such as when the other party is a business). See Rule 9(1) of the Provincial Court (Family) Rules.

Choose your guide

When you know out how you need to serve the document, choose the correct guide below.

Serve documents by personal service

My document must be given to the other person by a process server or someone I know. The other person lives in BC.

Personal service

Serve documents by delivery

My document can be dropped off, or sent to the other person by mail, email, or fax.

Delivery