Starting January 2, 2026, Alberta is introducing a major update to how family law matters move through the Court of King’s Bench. These changes—called the Family Focused Protocol (FFP)—are designed to make the court process simpler, faster, and more focused on resolving disputes, rather than getting stuck in repeated interim applications and long delays.

If you are separating, divorcing, or dealing with parenting or financial issues, these changes may affect how your matter begins, how quickly it moves, and what you need to do before you ever see a judge.

Why Is Alberta Changing the Family Law Court Process?

The Alberta Courts have acknowledged what families already know: traditional, adversarial litigation can be slow, stressful, expensive, and emotionally harmful—especially for children.

The new process aims to:

• Reduce conflict by encouraging early resolution
• Prevent piecemeal litigation, where families return to court again and again for temporary orders
• Ensure both sides exchange key information early, so meaningful settlement discussions can happen sooner
• Use court time more efficiently, so matters move forward instead of getting stalled

Other provinces, including Manitoba, have implemented similar family-focused processes with strong results. Alberta is now following suit.

Three New Process Streams

Starting in 2026, every family law matter will fall into one of three tracks:

1. Regular Family Process
   This is the main process for most family disputes—and where the biggest changes are happening.
2. Desk Process
   For paperwork-only matters (like an uncontested divorce or a consent order that doesn’t require speaking to a judge).
3. Urgent Process
   For emergencies, such as safety concerns, imminent removal of a child from the jurisdiction, or time-sensitive parenting issues.

Most people will start in the Regular Family Process, so that’s where this article focuses.

The Regular Family Process: What You Must Do Before Court Will Hear You

Under the new system, you must complete several mandatory steps before the court will schedule a conference with a Justice. If these steps aren’t complete—or if documents aren’t filed properly—your matter can be paused (“snoozed”) by the Court until the missing requirements are fixed.

Here are the new mandatory requirements.

Step 1: Complete Mandatory Requirements

Before your matter can move forward, you must:

1. Take the Parenting After Separation (PAS) Course
   • Required for any file involving children
   • Done online
   • You’ll receive a certificate you must file with the Court
2. Exchange Financial Disclosure
   This includes tax returns, pay information, statements, and other financial documents depending on your circumstances.
   The new system is strict: without financial disclosure, your file cannot move forward.
3. Attend an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Process
   This could include mediation, a settlement meeting, or another recognized ADR option completed within the last six months.
   Self-represented parties must also meet with a Family Court Counsellor at this stage.

There are limited situations where a party can request a waiver or deferral, but these will only be granted when justified (for example, the other party refusing to participate).

Step 2: Start Your Court Action

This typically means filing one of the following:

• Statement of Claim for Divorce
• Family Law Claim
• Originating Application

Your lawyer will help determine which is appropriate.

Step 3: File Your Mandatory Intake Triage (MIT) Package

This package includes:

• Proof you completed the mandatory requirements
• Your financial documents
• Any interim application you are making
• Other required forms

You must serve this entire package on the other party and file an Affidavit of Service, which triggers Court review. If you forget to file the Affidavit of Service, your matter will not move forward.

Step 4: Court Review of Your Documents (Two-Phase Review)

A Case Management Officer (CMO) reviews your file in two parts:

Phase One:

Checks whether:

• The mandatory requirements are complete
• Your documents meet the Court’s minimum standards

Phase Two:

Reviews:

• Your financial disclosure
• Any interim applications you have made

If anything is missing, unclear, or not acceptable, your file will be “snoozed” for 7–15 days until the problems are fixed.

When approved, you will receive a link to book your MIT Conference.

Step 5: MIT Conference (1 Hour)

This is your first meeting with a Justice, and it is intended to:

• Clarify the issues
• Set timelines
• Address any narrowly-defined interim relief
• Create a plan for the next steps in your case

The Justice can also grant interim orders, though the Court discourages repeated interim applications—the goal is to resolve, not litigate piece by piece.

After this meeting, you receive a MIT Report summarizing the outcomes and next steps.

Step 6: Settlement Conference (2.5 Hours)

This is one of the most significant changes.

Once you have followed the MIT procedural directions and exchanged any outstanding disclosure, you will attend a Settlement Conference with a different Justice—someone with “fresh eyes.”

At least 14 days before the session, each party must prepare a short Settlement Memorandum (maximum 8 pages) summarizing:

• The issues in dispute
• Each party’s position
• Supporting evidence
• Child/spousal support calculations
• Up to two cases supporting your position per issue

The Court expects many cases to settle at this stage, significantly reducing the need for trials.

Parties may jointly request to make the Settlement Conference binding, meaning the Justice’s decision becomes final on the agreed-upon issues.

Steps 7 and 8: Pre-Trial and Trial

If the case does not settle, it moves to:

Pre-Trial Case Conference

With the same Justice who conducted your MIT Conference (if represented) or with Resolution Counsel.

Trial

The Court’s goal is to schedule trials within 18 months after the Settlement Conference—a significant improvement over current timelines.

Desk Processes and Urgent Matters

Some matters won’t go through the regular stream.

Desk Applications

Used where no appearance is needed, such as:

• Desk divorces
• Consent orders
• Time-sensitive consent matters

Urgent Applications

For situations involving:

• Immediate risk of harm to a child or adult
• Fear a child may be removed from Alberta
• Emergency Protection Order reviews
• Parenting time that cannot reasonably be delayed

Urgent requests can bypass mandatory requirements but must be vetted and approved by a Justice. If the request is deemed not urgent, the parties will be directed to the Regular Family Process.

How Will These Changes Affect You as a Family Law Client?

1. You must be prepared early.
   You’ll need to complete courses, exchange disclosure, and attend ADR before the Court will meaningfully engage with your case.
2. Delays are more likely if you don’t complete the required steps.
   Incomplete or missing documents can cause your case to be “snoozed,” slowing the process.
3. More emphasis on settlement.
   The Court expects—and strongly encourages—families to resolve most or all issues before trial.
4. Fewer interim battles.
   The system discourages repeated interim applications. This means disputes over temporary parenting or financial arrangements must often be addressed in ADR or at conferences, not in standalone hearings.
5. More predictable timelines.
   Moving from MIT to Settlement Conference to Trial has clearer timelines, which helps families plan.
6. More in-person meetings.
   Most conferences will be in person, unless you request and receive approval for a remote appearance.

How This May Change Your Approach to Resolving a Dispute

The FFP encourages a mindset shift:

From:

“Let’s go to court and fight issue-by-issue.”

To:

“Let’s prepare properly, exchange full information, and work toward a meaningful settlement.”

Practically, this means:

• You and your lawyer will need to invest more work at the front end of the file
• Disclosure must be organized and complete early
• Settlement discussions will be more productive because a Justice will review your materials at multiple points
• You may resolve your dispute sooner—sometimes in months rather than years

For many families, these changes mean less stress, fewer court dates, and faster closure.

How SVR Lawyers Can Help

SVR’s family law team works closely with clients to help them understand and navigate the updated system.

We can help you:

• Understand your rights and obligations
• Gather the required financial and parenting documents
• Prepare strong ADR and settlement materials
• Represent you at MIT and Settlement Conferences
• Strategically approach negotiation and trial preparation under the new rules

If you have questions about how the 2026 Family Focused Protocol may affect your situation, we are here to guide you every step of the way.