Section 87 of the Family Law Act states:
87 Unless an agreement or order provides otherwise and except in relation to a division of family property under Part 6,
(a) the value of family property must be based on its fair market value, and
(b) the value of family property and family debt must be determined as of the date
(i)an agreement dividing the family property and family debt is made, or
(ii)of the hearing before the court respecting the division of property and family debt.
Section 95 of the Family Law Act states:95
(1) The Supreme Court may order an unequal division of family property or family debt, or both, if it would be significantly unfair to
(a) equally divide family property or family debt, or both, or
(b) divide family property as required under Part 6 [Pension Division].
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the Supreme Court may consider one or more of the following:
(a) the duration of the relationship between the spouses;
(b) the terms of any agreement between the spouses, other than an agreement described in section 93 (1) [setting aside agreements respecting property division];
(c) a spouse’s contribution to the career or career potential of the other spouse;
(d) whether family debt was incurred in the normal course of the relationship between the spouses;
(e) if the amount of family debt exceeds the value of family property, the ability of each spouse to pay a share of the family debt;
(f) whether a spouse, after the date of separation, caused a significant decrease or increase in the value of family property or family debt beyond market trends;
(g) the fact that a spouse, other than a spouse acting in good faith,
(i) substiantially reduced the value of family property, or
(ii) disposed of, transferred or converted property that is or would have been family property, or exchanged property that is or would have been family property into another form, causing the other spouse’s interest in the property or family property to be defeated or adversely affected;
(h) a tax liability that may be incurred by a spouse as a result of a transfer or sale of property or as a result of an order;
(i) any other factor, other than the consideration referred to in subsection (3), that may lead to significant unfairness.
(3) The Supreme Court may consider also the extent to which the financial means and earning capacity of a spouse have been affected by the responsibilities and other circumstances of the relationship between the spouses if, on making a determination respecting spousal support, the objectives of spousal support under section 161 [objectives of spousal support] have not been met.
In Blair v. Johnson, 2015 BCSC 761 at paragraph 69 the Court held the following to be the test for when the court will rely on section 87 to change the valuation date:
[69] Section 95 of the FLA requires significant unfairness on specified grounds before the court may order an unequal division of family property. To the extent that s. 95 and s. 87 may provide alternate routes to address the substantial unfairness that would arise from awarding parties equal shares in family property valued at trial, it seems to me the significant unfairness threshold should also be met before the court departs from the date of trial as the valuation date pursuant to s. 87. To conclude otherwise would allow for an earlier valuation date resulting in a radical departure from an equal division as of the date of trial in circumstances where the significant unfairness threshold under s. 95 is not met. I say this leaving aside circumstances where it is necessary to set an earlier date because family property has been sold etc. or debt eliminated prior to the hearing. It is important to bear in mind the basic principle of equal entitlement (and responsibility) found in s. 81 that is integral to the division of family property regime in the FLA.
