What Is Family Justice Services in Alberta and How Does It Help?

A court clerk or a website may have pointed you to Family Justice Services. The name is often used loosely, and it can refer to several different government and court supports for families going through separation.

This article describes the main supports available in Alberta, who can use them and, just as important, what they will not do. If a clerk used the term, ask which service they mean.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

What the name can refer to

There is no single office that does everything. People using the phrase usually mean one or more of these: the Family Justice Strategy requirements, Family Court Counsellors, court forms information coordinators, or government family mediation. Each is described below.

Government family mediation is a separate service. Alberta Justice Family Mediation is free. To be eligible, you must be separating or divorcing, be a parent, grandparent, guardian or other person with a significant role in a child's life, and have at least one dependent child. Both parents must agree to mediate, and one parent's gross income must be $60,000 or less per year. Topics can include communication, parenting plans, guardianship, child support, spousal support and some property matters.

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. If a court order prevents contact with the other parent, a copy must be provided before a mediation appointment is scheduled. The mediator meets each person individually to identify safety concerns.

The Family Justice Strategy

The Family Justice Strategy applies in Greater Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Grande Prairie. Before family law applications are filed there, four mandatory requirements must be met.

• Alternative dispute resolution, if you disagree on any issue.
• The Parenting After Separation course, if children under 18 are affected.
• A Financial Disclosure Statement, for support or family property claims.
• A meeting with a family court counsellor, for people with dependent children who do not have a lawyer.

For the first requirement, alternative dispute resolution must have been attempted within the past 6 months, and all parties must file a Participation in ADR form before filing any family law court application. For the course, the completion certificate is filed with a court clerk, and the course must be retaken if the certificate is more than 2 years old. Respondents must file their certificate within 14 days of being served court documents.

All ADR processes under the strategy include screening for family violence, and anyone with safety concerns is told to contact 211, which is open 24/7. If you cannot complete a requirement, you can file a Request to Waive/Defer Mandatory Requirements form. Listed reasons include family violence concerns, technological barriers, language barriers and being unable to locate the other party.

The Court of King's Bench Family Focused Protocol took effect January 2, 2026 and applies to Family and Divorce proceedings at all Court of King's Bench judicial centres. Urgent matters, such as a risk of violence or immediate harm, are exempt from the mandatory requirements. Waiver steps have been revised since the protocol began, so check the Alberta Courts website for the current process.

Family Court Counsellors

Family Court Counsellors are a free Court and Justice Services resource for self-represented people in parenting disputes. They help you choose and complete forms for parenting, contact, guardianship and access-enforcement applications. Court and Justice Services can be reached toll free at 1-855-738-4747.

There is an exception. 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.

Court forms information coordinators

Court forms information coordinators give free help finding court forms, understanding when to use them and how to fill them out. They are in Calgary, Grande Prairie, Edmonton and Red Deer for civil, criminal and family matters, and in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat for family matters only. They are open Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 4 pm.

What these services will not do

The family court counsellor is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Counsellors also do not advocate for either side, and they do not help with child or spousal support applications.

The Alberta Rules of Court apply equally to a self-represented person and to a person with a lawyer. These supports help you with the process, but they do not decide your rights or tell you what outcome to aim for. For that, you would need legal advice.

They also do not decide which court hears your matter. The Court of King's Bench has sole jurisdiction over divorce and the division of property in Alberta. The Alberta Court of Justice (Provincial Court) cannot decide divorce applications or property claims arising from the breakdown of a relationship, but it hears child and spousal support, parenting arrangements, private guardianship and child protection matters.

What to do next

• Ask the person who mentioned Family Justice Services exactly which service they meant.
• Work out which court you are filing in and where your children live.
• Call Court and Justice Services at 1-855-738-4747 if you need help with parenting forms.
• Visit a court forms information coordinator if one is in your city.
• Get legal advice on support claims, safety concerns or any question about your rights.

Frequently asked questions