In January of last year, the provincial government implemented mandatory early family dispute resolution for divorce and separation proceedings in Prince Albert and that will be expanded to Regina on March 1st.
Mediator and out of court divorce lawyer, Kayla DeMars-Krentz, explains that in these two centres you’ve got to go through the mediation process before heading to court, and in most cases that means you won’t need to go through the court process.
She can’t speak for the government, but expects the reason it’s being implemented gradually is so they can look at the data first and because if it was done all at once, there wouldn’t be enough properly trained professionals to take care of the 4,000 to 5,000 families that would need the service.
DeMars-Krentz says the advantages include reducing conflict, saving money and preserving the dignity of the separating couple.
She expects most people don’t want their most private conversations disclosed in courtroom halls or before a judge.
The out of court process can include specially trained lawyers, mediators, financial experts and mental health and wellness professionals.