Is There Free Family Mediation in Alberta? Court-Funded Options

Separating is expensive, and a private mediator can feel out of reach. Alberta does offer a government family mediation service at no cost, but not everyone qualifies.

This article explains who is eligible, how to get in, what the mediator will and will not do, and what else you can look at if you do not qualify. Your situation may have details that change the picture, so a lawyer can confirm what applies to you.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

Who qualifies for Alberta Justice Family Mediation

Alberta Justice Family Mediation is free. To use it, all of the following must be true:

• You are separating or divorcing.
• You are a parent, grandparent, guardian or other person with a significant role in a child's life.
• There is at least one dependent child, meaning under 18, or 18 and older and eligible for continued child support.
• Both parents agree to mediate.
• One parent's gross income is $60,000 or less per year.

What mediation can cover

Family mediation topics include communication, parenting plans, guardianship, child support, spousal support and some property matters. It is a way to reach your own agreement with help from a neutral person, rather than having a judge decide.

If you will discuss finances, you must exchange a Financial Disclosure Statement with the other parent.

If you reach an agreement, parents who agree on parenting time, child support or spousal or partner support can have the terms made into a Consent Order. An agreement cannot be used to change an existing court order, and it cannot be filed on its own with the court. How to turn your own agreement into an order depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.

How to register and what to expect

Each parent registers separately, within 2 weeks of the other, and lawyers cannot register for you. Contact usually comes 2 to 3 weeks after registration.

The mediator meets each person individually to identify safety concerns and decides whether mediation is appropriate. The mediator must report any perceived threat to the safety of any person to the appropriate authorities. If you have safety concerns, you can contact 211, which is available 24/7.

There are two special cases. If a court order prevents contact with the other parent, a copy must be provided before a mediation appointment is scheduled, and the order may need to be checked or changed. If you have a Children's Services case worker, you may be referred to the Children's Services Mediation Program instead.

Other options if you do not qualify

The Court of King's Bench lists several Family Law Dispute Resolution Services: parenting apps, mediation, the King's Bench Child Support Resolution Program, collaborative professionals, parenting coordination and arbitration. The Child Support Resolution Program is available to all parties in Calgary and Edmonton, and can be reached by direction from Family Docket Court or voluntarily before it.

Mediation also matters for court. In Greater Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Grande Prairie, if you disagree on any issue, ADR must have been attempted within the past 6 months, and all parties must file a Participation in ADR form before filing a family law court application. If you cannot complete a requirement, a Request to Waive/Defer Mandatory Requirements form is available, with listed reasons that include family violence concerns and language barriers. For divorces, the Divorce Act asks parties to try to resolve matters through a family dispute resolution process to the extent appropriate.

ADR is one of four mandatory requirements under the Family Justice Strategy that must be met before family law applications are filed in those four areas. The others are:

• Parenting After Separation course: applies if children under 18 are affected, and the course must be retaken if your certificate is more than 2 years old.
• Financial disclosure: anyone filing for child support, spousal support, adult interdependent partner support or family property division, and the respondent, must each file a Financial Disclosure Statement.
• Family court counsellor meeting: applies to people with dependent children who do not have a lawyer, and the counsellor is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. A self-represented person whose children live outside Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie or Red Deer, or whose only claim is for child support, is not required to complete a Family Court Counsellor intake before filing a parenting-related application.

The Court of King's Bench Family Focused Protocol took effect January 2, 2026 and applies at all King's Bench judicial centres. Urgent matters, such as a risk of violence or immediate harm, are exempt from the mandatory requirements.

What to do next

• Check each eligibility point, especially income and whether the other parent will agree.
• Tell the other parent they need to register separately, within 2 weeks of you.
• Prepare your Financial Disclosure Statement if money will be discussed.
• Keep a copy of any court order that limits contact.
• If you may not qualify, ask a lawyer about private mediation or the other services listed above.

If you are handling forms yourself, court forms information coordinators give free help finding court forms and understanding when to use them and how to fill them out. Family Court Counsellors are a free resource for self-represented people in parenting disputes, but they do not help with child or spousal support applications and cannot give legal advice. Court and Justice Services can be reached toll free at 1-855-738-4747.

If your matter is a divorce proceeding, the Divorce Act asks parties to protect any child of the marriage from conflict arising from the proceeding, to the best of their ability. Waiver steps and court processes have been revised more than once, so confirm the current requirements for your location with a lawyer or the court.

Frequently asked questions