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Family Law Lawyers in Maple Ridge BC:
Pathway Legal Is Now Your Neighbour

A warm illustrated scene of a mother, young boy, and golden retriever standing beside a rustic wooden "Maple Ridge" welcome sign surrounded by flowers, trees, and mountain views, representing Pathway Legal's expansion to serve families in Maple Ridge, BC.

Look up from almost anywhere in Maple Ridge and the Golden Ears are looking back at you. Long before the first settlers arrived, the Katzie and Kwantlen peoples knew this area by a Halkomelem name that translates to "place where the golden eagles are." Eagles see the whole landscape from above, and that big-picture view is what families need most when separation turns life upside down.

Pathway Legal is now available for families in Maple Ridge. We are a BC family law firm with offices in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Surrey, and now, Maple Ridge. We serve families across the province by video. Now families in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and the surrounding communities can sit down with us in person, close to home.

Whether you are thinking about separating, sorting out parenting arrangements (what many people still call custody), or trying to figure out what happens to the house, we are here to help you find a better path through this.

About Pathway Legal

Pathway Legal is known province-wide for its client-focused approach, clear communication, and deep commitment to alternative dispute resolution.

We support families through every stage of separation and divorce, offering mediation, legal coaching and negotiation, with court as a last resort.

By focusing on amicable solutions and transparent billing, Pathway Legal Family Lawyers helps clients move forward confidently and efficiently.

Meet our lawyers.

Connect online or by phone

Phone: 778-557-5099
Email: reception@pathwaylegal.ca
Request a consultation: (online form)

Where we meet

11939 224 St Unit 206, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6B2

Note: In-person office hours are by appointment.

We also serve clients in Pitt Meadows, Mission, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Port Moody Langley, and across BC by secure video.

Why we chose Maple Ridge

Maple Ridge is growing fast. The city is home to more than 106,000 people and expects to reach about 150,000 in roughly the next 15 years. About 30 percent of residents are under 25, a larger share than both Metro Vancouver and BC as a whole.

That tells us something important. This is a community full of young families, first homes, busy schedules, and kids with packed calendars. When families like these go through separation, they deserve support that is close by and easy to reach.

Until now, Maple Ridge families who worked with us met us by video or crossed the Golden Ears Bridge to our Surrey office. Video still works beautifully for plenty of people. Some conversations feel better face to face, and now you get to choose.

And our founder, Valorie Hemminger, was raised here! It was called Hammond, where she grew up! Although she hasn't lived here since she was about 13 years old, whenever she comes to visit her family (many of whom still live here), she is so flooded with happy memories about her wonderful childhood and being grateful for the family she has. Yes of course there were rough bits!

A community with deep roots and a big heart

Maple Ridge sits on the traditional territories of the Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations, whose ancestors have cared for this land along the Fraser River since time immemorial. The area is also home to the Golden Ears Métis Society.

The history here is layered and surprising. Kanaka Creek takes its name from Hawaiian workers who came to Fort Langley with the Hudson's Bay Company and were among the first (people who were not Indiginous) settlers on the north side of the Fraser. Maple Ridge incorporated in 1874, which makes it one of the older municipalities in the province.

Today the city stretches from Hammond and Port Haney along the river, through Albion, Cottonwood, and Silver Valley, and out to Thornhill, Webster's Corners, Whonnock, and Ruskin. It is also one of BC's busiest filming locations. Maple Ridge has stood in for a small town full of big hearts on Virgin River, and we think it plays itself pretty well.

Families here are not one thing. Some have farmed the same land for generations. Some moved out from Vancouver chasing a backyard and a mortgage they could manage. Some are blended families building something brand new. We meet every one of them where they are.

A quick word about "custody"

BC's Family Law Act stopped using the word custody in 2013, and Canada's Divorce Act made a similar shift in 2021. Today the law talks about guardianship, parenting time, and decision-making responsibility.

We use custody in a few places on this page because it is still what people understand (don’t we all) and are looking for in terms of support. In our conversations with you, we use the words the court uses, and we explain every one of them in plain language.
Journey looking to the left.

Who we are at Pathway Legal

We are a family law firm that does things differently, and we are proud of it. Here is what that looks like for the families we serve

  • Resolution first, court last. We start with conversation, negotiation, and mediation. Court is a tool we use when it is truly needed, not our opening move.
  • Kids out of the crossfire. Research shows it is ongoing conflict, not separation itself, that does the most harm to children. Every plan we build keeps children out of the middle.
  • Plain language, always. If a real person would not say it at a kitchen table, we do not say it to you. You will understand every step and every document.
  • A little fun. Separation is hard. That does not mean every conversation about it has to feel heavy. We laugh with our clients at the right moments, we celebrate the wins, and our ambassador Journey keeps us all pointed toward hope.
The P.A.T.H. Method — Pathway Legal

The P.A.T.H. Method

You get the whole pack

Our lawyers meet by video every Monday to Thursday in what we call party crashing: a short, structured huddle where anyone can bring a stuck matter, a tricky strategy question, or a tough opposing party and get the whole team thinking about it. Then we all meet again on Friday.

When you hire one Pathway lawyer, you get the brainpower of the pack behind them.

How family law works when you live in Maple Ridge

Knowing the local landscape takes a lot of the fear out of the process. Here is a plain-language map.Free help at the Maple Ridge

Family Justice Centre

The province runs a Family Justice Centre right here in Maple Ridge, and its services are free. Family Justice Counsellors (who are accredited mediators) help families with parenting arrangements, guardianship, child and spousal support, contact with a child, and even who keeps the family pet. They offer in-person and virtual appointments, and calling ahead before you drop in is a good idea.

Family Justice Counsellors provide information and referrals, not legal advice. Pairing their services with your own lawyer gives you the best of both: a neutral process and someone firmly in your corner.Provincial Court and early resolution in Port Coquitlam

For most Maple Ridge families, Provincial Court family matters are handled at the Port Coquitlam courthouse on Mary Hill Road. Provincial Court deals with parenting arrangements, guardianship, support, and protection orders. It cannot grant a divorce or divide most property (the family pet is the one exception).

Since November 1, 2024, Port Coquitlam has been an early resolution registry. For most families, that means a needs assessment and at least one session of consensual dispute resolution, like mediation, before a judge hears their application. There are exceptions, including protection orders and other urgent situations.

In Victoria and Surrey, where this approach started, about 60 percent of participating families did not go on to court with unresolved issues. We love this. It is our resolution-first philosophy with a government stamp on it.

BC Supreme Court in Port Coquitlam or New Westminster

Divorce orders and property division happen in BC Supreme Court. For years, that meant heading to New Westminster. Since June 9, 2025, the Port Coquitlam courthouse has had a full Supreme Court registry, and families can name Port Coquitlam as the place of trial. New Westminster remains available too.

Where It Happens | Pathway Legal
What you need Where it usually happens
Free information, a needs assessment, or mediation with a Family Justice Counsellor Maple Ridge Family Justice Centre
Parenting arrangements, support, guardianship, or protection orders in Provincial Court Port Coquitlam courthouse (early resolution registry)
A divorce order, property division, or more complex matters BC Supreme Court in Port Coquitlam or New Westminster
Negotiation, mediation, collaborative law, and a final separation agreement Around a table (ours in Maple Ridge, or by video)

Of course you can always talk to a Pathway Legal lawyer. Whatever route your matter takes, court timelines run many months, and sometimes years. That is one more reason we work so hard to help families reach a final separation agreement outside the courtroom.

How we help Maple Ridge families

Our lawyers focus only on family law, and we help with the full range of family law needs.

  • Separation and divorce. We guide you from the first conversation to a final separation agreement and, when you want one, a divorce order.
  • Parenting arrangements. We build parenting plans around parenting time and decision-making responsibility that put kids first and keep them out of the middle.
  • Child and spousal support. We use the Federal Child Support Guidelines and the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines to give you clear numbers, so everyone knows where they stand.
  • The family home and property. A Maple Ridge home is often a family's biggest asset, and we help you weigh a buyout, a sale, or another option that works for everyone.
  • Mediation and collaborative family law. We help you reach agreement outside court with lawyers who want the process to succeed.
  • Family formation. We support families built through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, donor agreements, adoption, and LGBTQ+ family building.
  • For those folks who have been together a long time and are still separating (in popular media they call this a "grey divorce!”). We help with pensions, CPP credit splitting, and support when separation happens later in life.
  • High-conflict matters and family violence. We provide steady, experienced guidance on protection orders, coercive control, and keeping you and your children safe.
An illustrated image of Journey the Jack Russell terrier sitting happily on a forest trail beside a teal wooden sign reading "Meet us in Maple Ridge" with a paw print, surrounded by tall BC evergreen trees, mountain peaks, and fallen red maple leaves.

Our Maple Ridge office gives local families a comfortable, private place to meet with us in person. Prefer your own kitchen table? Video works too. How you meet with us is always your choice.

Maple Ridge office: 11939 224 St Unit 206, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6B2

Our initial consultation is a paid meeting, and it is real legal guidance, not a sales pitch. You leave with a clearer picture of your options and your next steps, and it comes with our money-back guarantee on the initial consultation fee.

Ask Journey – Maple Ridge Families
Ask Journey
Pathway Legal's Ambassador — Maple Ridge Families
Journey, the Pathway Legal mascot dog

Journey here. I am our beacon of hope and care, and I hear the questions families are almost too nervous to ask out loud. Here are the ones that come up most often when Maple Ridge families first reach out to us.

Does my separation have to end up in court?

No. Court is a last resort, and many families reach a final separation agreement without a judge ever deciding for them. Negotiation, mediation, and collaborative family law all help you make the decisions yourselves, usually faster and for less money.

When court is necessary (for example, when someone's safety is at risk), we are ready and steady. We also make sure you know up front that court timelines run many months, and sometimes years.

If we go to mediation, should I bring my lawyer?

Yes. Pathway Legal recommends that clients bring their lawyers to mediation. Your lawyer makes sure you understand your rights before you agree to anything, and helps turn the good ideas at the table into a final separation agreement that holds up.

Having a lawyer in the room does not make mediation adversarial. Done well, it makes the whole process calmer and more productive.

We have a dog. Who gets to keep her?

Journey takes this one personally. Since January 1, 2024, BC's Family Law Act has specific rules for companion animals. If you cannot agree, a court looks at things like who cared for that treasured member of your family, the bond your children have with them, each person's ability to meet the "animal's" needs, and any history or risk of family violence or cruelty.

A court cannot order you to share ownership of a pet or split time with them. Around here, dogs are family, so working this out together usually gives everyone (including the dog) the best result.

I live in Pitt Meadows, Mission, or the Tri-Cities. Can I meet at the Maple Ridge office?

Absolutely. Our Maple Ridge office welcomes families from all over the region, and we work with families across BC by video.

One helpful detail: if your matter does go to Provincial Court and you have children, the application usually starts in the registry closest to where the children live most of the time. We will help you sort out where your matter belongs.


This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Family law is fact-specific and the law changes. Reading this does not create a lawyer-client relationship with Pathway Legal. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified BC family law lawyer.