Reforming Family Arbitration in Alberta

The Alberta Arbitration Act covers all domestic contract arbitrations in the province, including family law cases. However, the Act does not have specific rules for family disputes. Alberta’s family laws are also silent on arbitration. This means that family arbitrations follow the same rules as commercial arbitrations, even though family disputes and business disputes are very different from each other. The Reforming Family Arbitration in Alberta Project explores the need for separate treatment of family arbitration. This law reform project is a joint effort between the Alberta Law Reform Institute and University of Alberta Law Professor Tamar Meshel.