Family law general resources

This website from Alberta Courts provides access to videos about the various Mediation programs available for the Civil (non-family) Mediation program and the Family and Child Intervention

Family Justice Services are a group of programs and services offered by Alberta Justice in collaboration with the courts of Alberta. This webpage provides general information for those who are representing themselves in a family matter in either Court of Queen’s Bench or The Provincial Court of Alberta. Family Law includes all of the legal issues that arise when couples separate or when parties are parenting children together. Family Law does not include criminal charges against a family member, or issues that arise when a family member dies. This site provides general information only.

This publication explains the provisions of the Act as they apply to pregnancy, breastfeeding, maternity and parental leave, adoption, and childcare obligations. It also provides resources for finding more information about maternity leave and parental leave, which includes leave for adoptive parents.

This booklet from Family Law Education for Women explains alternative dispute resolution and when to use it in dealing with family law issues. (PDF – 8 pages)

The Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School works with judges, legal professionals, governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve access to justice in an effort to eliminate violence against women and girls.

The Central Alberta Women’s Outreach Society provides basic needs and emotional support for individuals as well as providing education and support in specific areas such as domestic violence, family law, and the effects of crisis on families. To speak with a domestic violence support worker, call 1-866-347-2480.

The Central Alberta Women’s Outreach Society provides basic needs and emotional support for individuals as well as providing education and support in specific areas such as domestic violence, family law, and the effects of crisis on families. The Society offers a legal information and referrals program. This program provides legal information and referrals to individuals as they navigate through the legal and judicial system.  Their staff will assist clients to identify legal issues and prioritize legal needs.

This section of the Government of Alberta: Children and Families website offers services, supports and resources to protect children and youth from harmful situations.

This online resource from the Student Legal Services of Edmonton includes information about common law relationships and the Adult Interdependent Relationships Act, property rights, other benefits and statutes (Alberta) and Federal Acts. This resource is also available to download as a PDF.

This website has multimedia presentations (videos) that provide information on presenting a family matters case in Chambers. The website was created by the Law Courts Education Society of  British Columbia but a lot of the information is relevant to other jurisdictions.

This resource helps parents walk through the steps of creating parenting plan. A parenting plan is a written document that outlines how parents will raise their children after separation or divorce. This interactive tool will give you some options to develop a personalized parenting plan. This tool is not intended as legal advice.

Divorce 101 in Alberta is an informative and easy-to-understand animated video that guides the viewer through the divorce process. This video will inform people of the steps to take by self-representing themselves, utilizing a mediator, or when to hire a lawyer.

You may obtain the kit which contains the forms required, plus information on how to get the process started from most stationary stores and also the Queen’s Printer Bookstore located in Edmonton and Calgary. Note: The item must be ordered; it cannot be downloaded.

Family Justice Services are a group of programs and services offered by Alberta Justice in collaboration with the courts of Alberta. Family Justice Services works directly with individuals and also with the judges of the Alberta Provincial Court and Court of Queen’s Bench to help people get appropriate solutions for their family law issues.

Family Mediation Canada is an interdisciplinary association of lawyers, social workers, human services and health care professionals, working together, creating a better way to provide for co-operative conflict resolution relating to separation and divorce, adoption, child welfare, wills and estates, parent/teen and age-related issues, etc. FMC was established in 1985 as a charitable, not-for-profit association under the Canada Corporations Act. FMC also provides information and referrals to Family Mediators across Canada.

The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children is a joint collaboration between academics at Simon Fraser University and community and women’s organizations working at the grass-roots level. The FREDA Centre is committed to participatory action research, focused specifically on violence against women and children, and works in the interests of the community to end this violence.

This booklet will give you general information about the law relating to guardianship, parenting, custody, access and contact.and the principles applied by the court when deciding matters relating to the care of children. If your application deals with these issues, you should read this booklet before starting to fill out your court forms. This information is general in nature, and is not intended to be an in-depth discussion of all legal issues relating to children.

These video resources have been  produced by Alberta Justice – Resolution Services to assist Albertans going through the divorce process.  – There are four vidoes which provide information on the following:

1. A guide to divorce where there are dependent children, one spouse prepares the paperwork, and the other spouse is served with that paperwork. This video tells you about: what an uncontested divorce is.
2. A guide to divorce without dependent children, one spouse prepares the paperwork, and the other spouse is served with that paperwork. This video tells you about: how to fill in the Statement of Claim for Divorce.
3. A guide to divorce where there are dependent children, both spouses do the paperwork together, and come to the courthouse together.
4. A guide to divorce where there are no dependent children, both spouses do the paperwork together, and come to the courthouse together.

How is Your Legal Health? The goal of the Legal Health Checks is to encourage people to recognize legal problems early, and to take action when problems are identified. For lawyers, these materials are a way to start conversations with people about the law, how to get legal help and how to work effectively with a lawyer. Topics include:

• General legal advice
• Money matters
• Relationships, separation and divorce
• Youth
• Seniors
• Business and Employment

In February 2002, the Department of Justice Canada contracted with the Muriel McKing Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research to develop an inventory of strategies and methods used in sharing family violence law information with people living in rural areas. The inventory categorizes the various methods and makes recommendations regarding most promising practices. Ultimately this inventory is intended to serve as a blueprint for agencies that deliver family violence information in rural areas. This PDF (59 pages, 2002) is available for free download.

The Latin American Community Council and MOSAIC, in partnership, have implemented this online multilingual legal resource to provide comprehensive and critical legal information in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese to Canadian newcomers and community workers in British Columbia.

Albertans now have the choice of taking Parenting After Separation in person or as an eCourse. This eCourse is a six hour seminar offering information to parents about separation and divorce process, the effects of separation and divorce on children, techniques for communication and legal information that affects parents and children. Separating or divorcing parents who live near a judicial centre and have issues concerning child support or parenting time may access this service.

The Family Law Project provides basic legal information on the following topics:

• Divorce
• Separation
• Parenting Time
• Child and Spousal Support (also referred to as “maintenance”)
• Family property
• Adult interdependent partnerships (often referred to as “common-law relationships”)
• Where to go if you need more in-depth information or help

In addition, the Family Law Project assists people in obtaining uncomplicated child support orders and variations, as well as related applications.

Vital Statistics, a division of Service Alberta, regulates the registration of all vital events that occur in Alberta such as births, deaths, marriages, and legal changes of name. In addition, the Vital Statistics office is responsible for the registration of religious organizations and clergy who perform marriages, marriage commissioner appointments and providing burial permits. The office also processes delayed registration events and amendments to event records.

Many Vital Statistics’ services are also provided through the registry agent network, including the issuance of marriage licences and applications for birth, marriage and death certificates. 

The Women’s Centre of Calgary is an ongoing source of information, support and advocacy. The Centre offers women quick access to emergency food, personal care supplies and bus tickets. It provides referrals to other agencies for food, clothing, furniture, housing, health, employment, education and recreation. The Centre operates a Legal Advice Clinic where volunteer lawyers provide free, half-hour legal advice sessions to women. The clinic is aimed at providing women with the preliminary information and support they may need to access the legal system.