A Gendered Approach to 'Quality of Life' after Separation under the British Columbia Family Law Act Relocation Regime

AuthorMeredith Shaw
PositionCurrently in the third year of her JD at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC
Pages121-139
APPEAL VOLUME 26 121
* Meredith Shaw is currently in the third year of her JD at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC. She
is grateful to her reviewers and to the Appeal editorial board for their insightful comments, and to the
team at Rise Women’s Legal Centre for her introduction to this area of the law while a Rise student
clinician.
ARTICLE
A GENDERED APPROACH TO “QUALITY
OF LIFE” AFTER SEPARATION UNDER
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA FAMILY LAW ACT
RELOCATION REGIME
Meredith Shaw *
CITED: (2021) 26 Appeal 121
ABSTRACT
As established in existing literature, the separation of spouses has gendered consequences.
Women are likely to suer more severely, nancially, from the dissolution of a relationship
and are more likely to experience family violence. Mothers in heterosexual relationships
are more likely to have care of children after separation than are fathers. In the face of
those challenges, many guardians will apply to relocate for reasons that include seeking out
emotional support from extended family and new partners, better nancial opportunities,
and housing aordability and availability. is article charts and analyzes British Columbia
court decisions made under the Division 6 Relocation provisions of the Family Law Act.
In Division 6, legislators have directed courts to consider the eects of a proposed relocation
on a child’s quality of life and that of the guardian who proposed relocation. is article
examines how courts have engaged with the many gendered aspects of quality of life following
separation. It nds that courts’ recognition of family violence’s repercussions is uneven and
recommends the explicit inclusion of family violence in the Division 6 quality of life provision.
It identies the following as areas for further judicial education: rst, family violence and its
connections to courts’ assessment of female applicants’ credibility and to barriers to accessing
housing and, second, potential biases in assessments of new female versus new male partners
of applicant parents in heterosexual relationships.
APPEAL VOLUME 26 122
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 123
METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................................................12 5
I. THE LAW: GOODFAITH RE ASONS FOR RELOCATION AS PART OF THE FLA
RELOCATION REGIME ...........................................................................................................12 5
II. TRENDS IN THE APPLICATIONS FOR R ELOCATION ..................................................127
A. GEND ERBASED TRENDS .............................................................................................. 127
B. FACTORS PROMPTING RELOCATION ....................................................................... 13 0
III. FAMILY VIOLENCE AS A MOTIVATION FOR RELOCATION ...................................... 132
IV. AFFORDABI LITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HOUSI NG AS
MOTIVATIONS FOR RELOCATION .....................................................................................136
A. AFFORDABILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING ............................................ 13 6
B. RELIANCE ON RELATIONAL TI ES TO SECURE HOUSING................................... 137
C. AFFORDABILITY, AVAILABILITY, AND FAMILY VIOLENCE ................................13 8
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................139

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