PRINCE ALBERT -- The justice ministry plans to test mandatory early family dispute resolution for married couples wanting to divorce starting Jan. 1 in Prince Albert.
It will then be expanded to the rest of the province at a later date, Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said in a news release.
“Our hope is that this provides a more cost-effective, less stressful avenue for parents to resolve their issues, resulting in less conflict and better outcomes for families and children.”
Only couples wanting to go through court are required to take part in dispute resoloution.
Randi Arnot, a Prince Albert family law lawyer and collaborative law lawyer, said a lot of professional help will be focused on putting children first.
“And we know that conflict between parents is one of the hardest things for parents to deal with. It also helps to preserve family wealth because court can be very expensive, it can take a number of years and you don’t have any say in the outcome.”
Those who complete mediation will be issued a certificate of participation and will be asked to present it if seeking a court application for family law or divorce proceedings.
Couples with a history of violence, child abduction or other high conflict matters can apply to the court for an exemption from mandatory dispute resolution process.
Government consulted with legal professionals, dispute resolution service providers and other stakeholders in 2017 regarding early dispute resolution as an alternative to court, province says.
