In 2023, the Department of Justice Canada launched a study aimed at examining government-funded out-of-court dispute resolution services for families experiencing a separation or divorce in Canada. The study focuses on better understanding the following questions:

• What are the mediation or conciliation services or programs offered by provinces and territories to resolve family law issues?
• How are outcomes measured? What does a successful or partially successful outcome look like? Partially successful outcome?
• Which factors are consistent across jurisdictions?

The final report includes a summary of program features, details on COVID-19 pandemic response and other changes to programs, service metrics and discusses the potential for further research.

The recently published report on “Out-of-court dispute resolution for families experiencing separation or divorce in Canada” is available in English here: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/dispute-differends/docs/rsd_rr2023_out-of-court-dr-eng.pdf.