Project hopes to encourage people to try mediation instead of courts

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The province is trying to keep family law issues out of the court system with an initiative that will pay for mediation.

The pilot project will give low income people the chance to go for mediation for family law. They’ll be referred to the Mediate BC Society.

Executive Director Kari Boyle says mediation can form better communication skills and then the adversarial court system for matters like divorce.

“If you are a parent, you are going to be a parent forever. Even if you are separated and divorced, you are going to have to deal with that other parent in some fashion and to be able to learn some skills, to be able to do that in a good way. You know, the kids are watching.”

Boyle hopes it will stop people from representing themselves. “That is just not a good forum for them to be in. It’s too complicated, it’s too structured, [and] it takes too long.”

She says everyone should consider mediation for family issues, it saves the court time, you money, and it often leads to more civil parenting relationships after the divorce is done.

 

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