What are disbursements?

Disbursements are third-party costs your lawyer pays on your behalf and passes through to your bill — court filing fees, process server fees, courier, land title searches, corporate searches, expert reports, and photocopying at some firms.

What does a Notice of Family Claim cost to file?

As of 2026 the BC Supreme Court filing fee for a Notice of Family Claim is $210. Amendments, applications, and other filings carry their own fees under Appendix C of the Supreme Court Family Rules.

What is a business-valuation report?

Where family property includes a private company, the court typically needs a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) report to determine fair value. Reports commonly cost $5,000–$25,000 and are usually split between the parties.

How do cost awards work?

In BC Supreme Court, the successful party is generally entitled to 'party-and-party' costs under Appendix B — a scale that typically recovers 40–60% of actual fees. 'Special costs' (near full indemnity) require reprehensible conduct. In Provincial Court, cost awards are rare.

What is a Rule 15-2 offer?

A formal settlement offer under Rule 15-2 of the Supreme Court Family Rules. If a party rejects an offer and does no better at trial, cost consequences follow — often double costs from the date of the offer forward. Formal offers materially move settlement negotiations.

Guide · Court costs · British Columbia

Family law court costs and disbursements in BC.

What the court and third parties charge you on top of your lawyer's fees — filing fees, service, expert reports, and how cost awards work when you win.

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Court filing fees

BC Supreme Court family filings carry fees under Appendix C of the Supreme Court Family Rules. Common 2026 figures: Notice of Family Claim $210, Response to Family Claim $210, Notice of Application $80, requisitions and orders $40. Provincial Court family filings are free.

Service and process

Personal service of the initial claim is typically $75–$200 through a licensed process server, more where the other party is evasive or out of province. Substitutional service applications add court fees and lawyer time.

Expert reports

Section 211 parenting report — $3,000–$15,000 depending on scope.
Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) — $5,000–$25,000+ for private-company or professional-practice valuations.
Real estate appraisal — $500–$1,500 per property.
Pension valuation — $500–$1,500 for defined-benefit plans.
Vocational or income-imputation report — $3,000–$8,000.

Cost awards after trial

The successful party in BC Supreme Court is generally entitled to party-and-party costs under Appendix B, at Scale B or C. In practice this recovers 40–60% of actual fees for straightforward files. Special costs (near-full indemnity) are reserved for reprehensible conduct. Provincial Court cost awards are rare and usually modest.

Formal offers under Rule 15-2

A written offer to settle that complies with Rule 15-2 has real teeth: if the other party rejects it and does no better at trial, the successful party often gets double costs from the date of the offer forward. Formal offers are one of the most effective settlement tools in a contested BC file.

Common questions

Frequently asked.

What are disbursements?: Disbursements are third-party costs your lawyer pays on your behalf and passes through to your bill — court filing fees, process server fees, courier, land title searches, corporate searches, expert reports, and photocopying at some firms.
What does a Notice of Family Claim cost to file?: As of 2026 the BC Supreme Court filing fee for a Notice of Family Claim is $210. Amendments, applications, and other filings carry their own fees under Appendix C of the Supreme Court Family Rules.
What is a business-valuation report?: Where family property includes a private company, the court typically needs a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) report to determine fair value. Reports commonly cost $5,000–$25,000 and are usually split between the parties.
How do cost awards work?: In BC Supreme Court, the successful party is generally entitled to 'party-and-party' costs under Appendix B — a scale that typically recovers 40–60% of actual fees. 'Special costs' (near full indemnity) require reprehensible conduct. In Provincial Court, cost awards are rare.
What is a Rule 15-2 offer?: A formal settlement offer under Rule 15-2 of the Supreme Court Family Rules. If a party rejects an offer and does no better at trial, cost consequences follow — often double costs from the date of the offer forward. Formal offers materially move settlement negotiations.

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