An initiative to reform family law in Alberta that started in Grande Prairie has made its way to the University of Calgary.
According to the UofC, a “historic” $26.8 million gift from the Alberta Law Foundation will fund two new research chairs and an on-campus Centre for Transformation which will focus on improving outcomes for families involved in the family justice system.
Officials say family law cases account for 35 per cent of all civil cases in Canada, representing significant time and resources dedicated to co-parenting and child support disputes.
The Re-imagining the Family Justice System initiative has already made significant strides in Grande Prairie’s courts, which the university points to as proof that new approaches to family justice can result in “promising” outcomes.
Since the project’s launch in GP, Swan City families have been encouraged to take new actions and are now empowered to consider the root causes of their disputes, whether they stem from social, relationship, parenting, or financial challenges, which RFJS officials say shifts family law away from the “dispute stage” where lawyers represent each side.
