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By rdnewsNOW staff

Family Justice Strategy

Province aiming to increase access to family justice services

Dec 1, 2023 | 2:53 PM

Officials with the Alberta government say a new Family Justice Strategy will make it easier for Albertans to deal with family court matters.

The government believes resolving family matters outside of the courts can reduce stress on children and families. Alberta’s government says it is improving the family justice system to help Albertans, particularly those who represent themselves in matters like divorces, spousal support agreements, parenting arrangements or child support orders, resolve family law issues faster.

Right now, officials say family justice services are varied across the different courts, and whether Albertans have access to certain services depends on which court or legislation their case falls under. The government says the new Family Justice Strategy will help align services in both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, so that Albertans can access the same types of services no matter which court they attend. Alberta’s government worked with the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta to develop this strategy.

“Alberta’s government is making the family justice system more accessible to ease the stress on Albertans dealing with family law matters during an already difficult time. We are expanding pre-court services so that Albertans can have access to a range of services before filing a claim or attending court,” says Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

According to provincial officials, the Family Justice Strategy is supported by a $5-million investment from Budget 2023 to expand pre-court services in Edmonton and Calgary. The government says these services, including alternative dispute resolution, family court counsellors, and parenting interventions, can help Albertans decide if they want to settle a family matter out of court or better understand the process if they decide to go to court.

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In addition, Alberta’s government says it is introducing a Family Resolution Hub online tool to provide information for Albertans dealing with family law matters. The Family Resolution Hub is expected to give Albertans a new way to explore their options and next steps when initiating a divorce, applying for guardianship or renegotiating a parenting arrangement. Officials say the platform should be available to Albertans across the province in December.

“Coordinating efforts to support families makes perfectly good sense,” says Lynn King, executive director, Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Alberta. ‘We applaud approaches in the Family Justice Strategy service delivery model that will help provide linkages to alternative dispute resolution resources and qualified mediation practitioners. We look forward to being collaborators in improving and promoting the well-being of Alberta families.”

“The new Family Justice Strategy being launched in the Alberta courts will give parents struggling to navigate their co-parenting and related matters an opportunity to manage those challenges in a non-adversarial, more family-friendly manner,” adds Sharon J. Crooks, board chair, Alberta Family Mediation Society.”Family dispute resolution, in most cases, significantly reduces the financial and emotional costs for families, as well as the time required to reach a resolution.”

Alberta government quick facts

• Family law matters in Alberta are heard in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and the Alberta Court of Justice.
• Each year, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta sees about 60,000 new civil and family matters, 9,000 divorce judgments and 350 civil and family trials.
• Alberta Court of Justice hears about 17,000 family and child protection cases annually.

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