Red Deer Receives $3 Million Boost to Extend Family Justice Strategy, Offering Relief from Court Com
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
144.06586
Summary
At some point in their lives, many Albertans will need to seek help from the legal system to address matters such as family law matters. Things like divorces, separations, and child support can be stressful and emotionally exhausting for all of us. Adding to this stress is a complex legal process and a structure that can be difficult and intimidating to navigate. Albertans who need to deal with a family law situation can benefit from a simplified, streamlined approach to family justice through the launch of the Family Justice Strategy in Edmonton and Calgary late last year. Since the strategies launched in late 2018, almost 9,000 Albertans have accessed services such as mediation and family court counselors.
Transcript
00:00:00.320
i'm pleased to be here today to announce an investment into family justice services for
00:00:06.000
red deer at some point in their lives many albertans will need to seek help from the
00:00:11.440
legal system to address some matter they'll also need some help to address things such as family
00:00:17.520
law matters things like divorces separations or child support negotiating these issues can
00:00:24.240
be stressful and emotionally exhausting for albertans adding to this stress is a complex
00:00:30.000
legal process and a structure that can be difficult and intimidating to navigate alberta's government
00:00:36.880
recognizes the struggles everyday citizens have had with the family justice system we have heard
00:00:42.960
their concerns and we are taking action to address them to help make things easier for albertans we
00:00:49.040
have worked closely with the court of king's bench of alberta and the alberta court of justice on
00:00:53.600
developing a simplified streamlined and integrated approach to family justice launched in edmonton
00:01:00.000
and calgary late last year the family justice strategy creates a single point of entry for anyone
00:01:05.760
seeking family law services it also makes it clear where appropriate for families to address their
00:01:12.160
matters outside the courts through mediation and other less adversarial methods since the strategies
00:01:19.120
launched in december almost 9 000 albertans have accessed services such such as mediation or family court
00:01:26.880
counselors these services help people resolve their family law matters in a manner that emphasizes the
00:01:33.680
well-being of the family the well-being of the children and can help families avoid the court process
00:01:39.680
altogether for those who do not who do still need to go to court these services can help them better
00:01:46.240
understand the process and for those whose matters are urgent or where it is not appropriate these
00:01:53.440
services can be waived so the situation can be quickly brought to court over time this approach can
00:02:00.320
help ease pressures on the family court system and reduce waiting times to attend court in fact just a
00:02:06.800
few months after launching in edmonton and calgary the family justice strategy is already starting to make a
00:02:13.120
difference for alberta families and we are building on this success with investments in budget 2024
00:02:20.400
this includes providing five million dollars to complete the rollout of the family justice strategy
00:02:26.160
in edmonton and calgary we also want to expand the strategy beyond alberta's two largest cities to give
00:02:32.240
even more albertans a simpler way to resolve family law issues to support this goal budget 2024 includes an
00:02:40.480
additional three million dollars for family justice services to bring the family justice strategy to
00:02:46.240
the people of red deer this investment will go towards hiring staff such as additional mediators family
00:02:54.400
court counselors and information services staff once hired and trained these staff members will be there
00:03:01.680
to help albertans in red deer and surrounding communities address their family law matters and better
00:03:07.280
navigate the court system these services already exist in red deer but adding staff will help make
00:03:14.160
sure that there are enough resources to meet an expected increase in demand once the family justice
00:03:20.800
strategy launches it will take some months to hire and train new staff the rollout of the family justice
00:03:27.760
strategy in red deer will begin now and we expect full implementation by the end of the year
00:03:34.320
in the meantime albertans in red deer and surrounding communities can continue to access existing court
00:03:40.560
programs and services one relatively new service for albertans with family law matters is the alberta
00:03:47.120
family resolution hub the alberta family resolution hub is a convenient online tool
00:03:52.880
that allows albertans to explore their options and next steps for addressing a family law matter regardless of where they live
00:03:59.520
launched in december of 2023 the online hub allows albertans to begin addressing their situation without
00:04:07.680
visiting a courthouse helping them save time and travel during already stressful circumstances
00:04:14.880
the hub also helps raise awareness about the services available through the family justice strategy by providing information
00:04:22.640
on options for solving disputes that don't involve going to court and having this information available online
00:04:31.120
frees time for court clerks and other staff helping the justice system run more efficiently
00:04:38.160
albertans who prefer to discuss their situation with court clerks or government staff
00:04:43.040
in person or over the phone can continue to do so through both the family justice strategy and family
00:04:50.480
resolution hub alberta's government is making it easier for albertans who need to deal with a family loss
00:04:57.200
situation online information dispute resolution programs that reduce conflict and a more streamlined
00:05:05.280
approach can all help people reach an agreement or solution in less time and with less stress
00:05:11.280
the strategy's positive impact on family wellness is immediate as albertans have access to services
00:05:18.800
focused on lessening hardships between separating parties and on the best interests of the children
00:05:25.520
after launching the strategy late last year government has moved quickly to expand it and we remain
00:05:31.520
committed to improving access and services for family justice system to support albertans in resolving their family law matters