Family Dispute Resolution Professionals Call for Changes to Keep Families Out of Court The Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO) is calling for major family law reform designed to encourage more separating couples to settle their disputes out-of-court. “There are many things that the government could do that would cost little or nothing to improve access to family justice in Ontario”, says family lawyer and FDRIO founder Tom Dart. “Our courts should be community hubs”, says Dart. “The infrastructure is paid for. Courts could used evenings and weekends for accessible mediation, triage, counselling and other essential services”. Other suggested…

The Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO) serves to establish high quality family dispute resolution processes, and to educate the public about them. The organization does not advocate for any process over another, and has therefore great credibility in an exercise such as this. FDRIO serves no special interest; rather it seeks to ensure that all families in Ontario benefit from the most appropriate, effective, accessible and affordable dispute resolution option for that family. Background Over the past 20 years there have been numerous reports and ideas about how to improve the family justice system in Ontario.  Family law…