Know your starting point.
Ask your own lawyer about your rights, responsibilities, options, necessary disclosure and whether the proposed process suits your circumstances.
← Back to homeBe informed.
FAMILY INFORMATION & RESOURCES
Be informed.
Make considered decisions.
A practical starting point for separation, divorce and parenting questions: official information, current court forms and help finding independent legal advice.
General information helps you prepare. A lawyer advising you independently can explain how the law applies to your circumstances.
Child & spousal support calculators
Explore child-support calculations and spousal-support illustrations to prepare questions for mediation or independent legal advice.
Open the DivorceNexus calculatorsEstimates and illustrations, not legal advice. Check the calculator’s current coverage and assumptions.
FREE HANDBOOK
Read. Prepare. Ask better questions.
The Considered Mediation Handbook explains family and divorce mediation, parenting coordination and arbitration, with benefits, limitations and practical worksheets to help you prepare.
136 pages · Large print · No email address required
For personal information and preparation. Copyright and attribution must be retained. Rebranding or reuse in another practice’s materials requires written permission, except as permitted by law. See the handbook’s permissions page.
Download the free handbook · PDF
BEFORE. DURING. AFTER.
Informed participation,
with support that is your own.
We encourage self-represented participants to obtain independent legal advice before, during and after mediation. You can ask a lawyer about help with particular questions or document review, even if you do not want representation for the whole matter.
Check before deciding.
Seek advice as proposals develop or new information emerges. Discuss breaks or time between sessions to consult your lawyer and understand the implications.
Review the next steps.
Have your own lawyer review proposed terms before you sign or rely on them. Ask about formal documents, existing orders and any steps needed to put an arrangement into effect.
Finding independent legal advice.
Ask a lawyer about limited-scope assistance if you need help with a particular task, such as preparing for mediation or reviewing proposed terms. Confirm the work included, fees and availability. Justice Canada’s directory can help you explore local family justice and legal-help services.
Justice Canada — court-process and legal-help services ↗Considered Mediation is not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation or advice on which court form you should file. Our role in facilitative mediation is to support discussion and informed decision-making, impartially.
OFFICIAL FEDERAL INFORMATION
Start with Justice Canada.
JUSTICE CANADA
Understand the process.
Start with official information about separation, divorce and ways to resolve family disagreements.
Family law information ↗Family dispute resolution ↗JUSTICE CANADA
Prepare a parenting plan.
Use the checklist and planning tool to organize questions about everyday arrangements and holidays. These are planning aids, not legal advice.
Parenting plan checklist ↗Parenting plan tool ↗JUSTICE CANADA
Find local support.
Look for family justice services and court-process support in your province or territory. Eligibility and availability vary by program.
Family justice services directory ↗Services to assist with the court process ↗ALBERTA
Find information close to home.
GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
Family-law assistance.
Find information about Alberta family-law services and practical help navigating the process.
Family-law assistance ↗GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
Separation & divorce.
Explore provincial information about separation, divorce and related family services.
Divorce and separation information ↗GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
Public mediation options.
Check the current scope and eligibility rules for Alberta’s family mediation service when comparing available options.
Alberta family mediation ↗For a short explanation of public and private options, read our Ontario & Alberta family court and fee guide ↗.
ACROSS CANADA
Choose the right jurisdiction.
Rules, court processes and available services differ. Start with information for the province or territory connected to your matter; a resource listing does not mean our mediation service is available there.
ONTARIO
Family court resources.
Court information for people representing themselves, including guides to the family court process.
Ontario family court guide ↗BRITISH COLUMBIA
Family justice.
Provincial information about family separation, parenting and dispute resolution.
BC family justice ↗MANITOBA
Family Law Manitoba.
Provincial information and services covering parenting, money, property and family dispute resolution.
Family Law Manitoba ↗SASKATCHEWAN
Separation or divorce.
Provincial information to help you find family-law services and understand available processes.
Saskatchewan family-law information ↗NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia Family Law.
A family-law information portal listed in Justice Canada’s provincial and territorial directory.
Nova Scotia Family Law ↗QUÉBEC
Family information.
The provincial family information hub is a starting point for Québec-specific services and requirements.
Québec family information ↗OFFICIAL COURT FORMS
Use the current form.
Understand the next step.
These links take you to official court and government directories, rather than copies stored here. Confirm the correct court, procedure, form version, filing requirements and deadlines with the official source and your own legal adviser.
ALBERTA
Court of King’s Bench.
Official family-law forms and divorce forms with instructions. Check which proceeding and court apply to your situation.
Family-law forms ↗Divorce forms and instructions ↗ALBERTA
Court of Justice.
Official family and youth forms and publications. These are separate from the King’s Bench forms.
Family and youth forms ↗ONTARIO & BRITISH COLUMBIA
Provincial form directories.
Use the current official version and read the accompanying rules and instructions for the relevant court.
Ontario family-law forms ↗BC Provincial Court family forms ↗BC Supreme Court family forms ↗Forms and instructions are general information, not a substitute for legal advice. Mediation does not itself pause court deadlines, grant a divorce or change an existing court order. For other jurisdictions, use the provincial and territorial directory to locate the relevant court or justice service.
INDEPENDENT READING & PREPARATION
More room to read and reflect.
DIVORCENEXUS
Separation & family resources
Explore the independent educational resource connected to the DivorceNexus book collection.
Visit DivorceNexus.com ↗CONSIDERED PRESSBooks & perspective
Explore books by Waldek Bennett on separation, parenting, family life and the decisions that follow.
Visit ConsideredPress.com ↗DivorceNexus and Considered Press are connected to our publishing work. They are independent educational resources, not government services or substitutes for a lawyer’s advice. External resources are provided for convenience; their publishers control their content and availability.
Resource list reviewed 17 October 2026. Always check the linked provider for current information.
YOUR NEXT STEP
You don’t need every answer
to begin a conversation.
Tell us the general issue, your province and any important dates. We will discuss suitability, current availability and the scope and fees before you decide whether to proceed.
Call or email us
Ask about services, fees and availability. We will explain the next steps and arrange intake separately.
Call Considered Mediation(403) 718-9866
Email an enquirycontact@consideredmediation.com
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