Justice ministry says legal changes saving Saskatchewan families money

Changes to family law have reduced the financial – and emotional – impacts on those going through separations and divorces, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice.

Bronwyn Eyre, Saskatchewan’s justice minister and attorney general, said the government’s goal is to help families resolve their legal disputes in a collaborative way while avoiding costly court appearances whenever possible.

“We are proud to have led the country in adopting several innovative programs and services that help parties de-escalate during what is often a financially and emotionally challenging time and achieve access to justice,” Eyre said in a statement.

One of the changes was mandatory family dispute resolution, which took effect across Saskatchewan in 2022. It requires families to participate in processes including arbitration, mediation, parenting co-ordination or collaborative law prior to taking their disputes to family court.

“As a result, there has been a 20 to 25 per cent reduction in the number of contested family law applications in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert,” the ministry explained in a statement. “Province-wide, some 450 families no longer required the services of a court to adjudicate their family law disputes.”

The ministry said its Family Law Information Centre, which offers family law self-help kits, videos and other educational materials to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer, has also seen a big increase in its number of clients.

In 2023-24, the centre has assisted 4,439 callers and met with 172 people, distributing 3,787 self-help kits.

The federal and provincial justice ministries assist with child support calculations, offering a quick way to update amounts for existing support orders. The ministry noted that Saskatchewan’s Child Support Service has made more than 557 decisions since it was launched in 2018.

“Divorce and separation are common experiences for many Canadians. It’s essential that our family justice system effectively addresses the needs of families going through these circumstances,” Arif Virani, federal justice minister and Attorney General of Canada, said in a statement.

“By partnering with the Government of Saskatchewan and investing $285,654 over two years in Child Support Services, we are enhancing access to justice for families facing separation and divorce. This funding assists parents in determining child support amounts without the need for court intervention, making the process more accessible and more affordable.”

Saskatchewan’s Parenting After Separation Program also provides tools to those going through a separation or divorce to help them navigate the emotional and lifestyle challenges associated with the changes. The online course takes roughly three hours to complete, and nearly 1,300 people did so in 2023-24.