Families in Kamloops dealing with separation or divorce will soon have access to a new early resolution pathway designed to help resolve disputes without going to court, as British Columbia expands the program to 35 additional court registry locations.

The service, which begins operating in Kamloops on May 1, is aimed at reducing conflict, legal costs and delays by helping people work through family-law issues earlier with the support of counsellors, legal information and dispute resolution services.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said the goal is to reduce the emotional and financial strain that often comes with family breakdowns.

“When somebody is going through divorce or separation and they have family law issues, it can be so stressful, traumatic, expensive, and really long court battles,” Sharma said in an interview with Radio NL. “We wanted a way to stop that for people.”

She said the early resolution process gives families support before court proceedings begin, including information about legal rights and options, as well as access to dispute resolution services.

“There’s a team there that will give you information, dispute resolution processes and different ways to help you try to see if it can be resolved before court,” she said.

According to Sharma, results from pilot programs in Victoria and Surrey showed that roughly 60% of family-law disputes were resolved without ever going to court.

“That’s huge for those families that didn’t have to spend money on expensive legal counsel and court processes,” she said.

The province says early intervention is key to preventing disputes from escalating.

“When you get in early with legal information… nobody’s entrenched yet,” Sharma explained. “It’s less conflict-oriented, and that early intervention seems to work.”

While some cases will still need to proceed through the court system, she said the program helps streamline what does reach judges by resolving simpler issues beforehand.

“About 60% settled before even needing court,” Sharma said. “That frees up court time and resources for the things that really need judicial attention.”

The province is rolling out the program to Kamloops and other communities using existing staff and funding.

“It’s not new money from taxpayers,” Sharma said. “It’s using existing resources in a smarter way that helps families in their time of need.”

The expansion was developed in collaboration with the Provincial Court and legal community partners. Sharma said the approach reflects a broader shift in how family law services are delivered.

“We worked with the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court,” she said. “It’s better for families, especially kids, when we can reduce long, drawn-out conflict.”

Court officials have said the expanded early resolution model is expected to ease pressure on Provincial Court registries by reducing the number of cases that proceed to full hearings.

For Kamloops residents, the process will apply to common family-law matters including parenting arrangements, child support, guardianship and contact disputes. Families will first meet with a family justice counsellor and may be referred to parenting programs or mediation before any court application proceeds.

If issues remain unresolved after the early steps, parties can still bring their case before the Provincial Court.