Court Recognition of the Collaborative Law Process
On December 5, 2019, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench issued an official announcement that Collaborative Law Processes will now officially qualify as an alternative dispute resolution service that the Courts will recognize as meeting their requirements. Among other things, the announcement stated, “A Collaborative Law Process is hereby designated a dispute resolution process for the purpose of Rule 4.16(1) and the Mandatory ADR Rules”. This is a historic moment in Alberta. The Court of Queen’s Bench’s announcement is further evidence of the shift that has been happening in legal culture within our province towards issues of divorce, parenting, separation, and similar matrimonial matters. Litigation should be the last step – not the first step – that couples take when trying to separate their lives…






