<p>Regardless of outcome, cases where a parent wants to relocate with a child following separation have a profound impact on all concerned, and are among the most difficult cases in the family justice system. While the new British Columbia Family Law Act (not yet in force) has provisions that address relocation, no other Canadian statutes address these problems, and the only relevant Supreme Court case, <i>Gordon v Goertz</i>, [1996] SCJ 52, offers only the most general guidance: relocation deci
sions are to be based on the “best interests of the child”. Having clearer guidance for relocation cases would be of great assistance to the courts, lawyers and families, facilitating judicial resolution, promoting settlement a
nd reducing costs, but over the past 15 years the Supreme Court has repeatedly refused leave in relocation cases, and outside of B.C. no government has announced plans to address the issue.
</p> <p>Using Westlaw and Quicklaw, Canadian relocation cases reported in English from 2001 to the beginning of 2011 (738 in total) were identified and analyzed.</p>