The purpose of this notice is to alert lawyers who supervise designated paralegals to important dates concerning the Family Law Pilot Project. Details about the pilot project and designated paralegals in general can be found here.
While the Family Law Pilot Project was scheduled to end December 31, 2014, the British Columbia Provincial Court has allowed the project to continue until October 1, 2015. This will allow the Law Society and the court to evaluate the project and discuss its future.
The pilot project will not, however, be extended in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and will therefore end in that court on December 31, 2014.
The pilot project applies only to the family law appearances by designated paralegals in the court registries identified in the project. The general use of designated paralegals is not a pilot project and therefore continues. In 2015, the Law Society will contact lawyers who have indicated they supervise designated paralegals to ask the lawyers to participate in a voluntary survey to assist the Law Society in evaluating both the pilot project and the use of designated paralegals more generally.