On January 2, 2026, Alberta introduced the Family Focused Protocol (FFP), a significant change to how family law matters are handled in the Court of King’s Bench. If you are considering a family law action involving divorce, parenting, child support, or spousal support, the FFP will affect how your case begins and moves through the court system.
The FFP replaced the former Family Docket Court process in Edmonton and Calgary, which held its final sittings on December 19, 2025. It applies at all judicial centres across the province, meaning families in St. Paul, Vermilion, Cold Lake, Lloydminster, and everywhere else in Alberta are subject to the same requirements.
The official source is Notice to the Profession and Public NPP#2025-04, originally issued December 10, 2025 and revised March 12, 2026, available on the Alberta Courts website.
What Is the Family Focused Protocol?
The FFP is a set of mandatory procedures designed to reduce conflict, encourage early resolution, and ensure that the best interests of children remain central to every family law proceeding. It applies to both federal Divorce Act matters (married spouses seeking divorce, parenting orders, and support) and provincial Family Law Act matters (unmarried parties, guardianship, contact, and parentage).
The core idea is straightforward. Before your matter gets in front of a judge for a contested hearing, you need to have taken steps to try to resolve things on your own. The court wants to know that by the time you arrive, you have made a genuine effort at resolution and that litigation is the necessary next step, not the first one.
Three Process Streams
Every family law case filed under the FFP is routed into one of three streams:
Regular Family Process. This is the path for contested matters where the parties have completed the mandatory pre-court steps and still need judicial intervention. Most cases will land here.
Desk Process. For matters that can be resolved without a court appearance. If both parties agree on the terms, certain orders can be processed on the papers alone, without anyone attending court.
Urgent Process. For safety-sensitive or time-critical situations. This includes cases involving family violence, child safety concerns, risk of a child being removed from the jurisdiction, and Emergency Protection Order reviews. If your situation involves immediate safety concerns, you can bypass the mandatory pre-court requirements and access a judge quickly.
The Four Mandatory Pre-Court Requirements
Before you can access the Regular Family Process, you must complete four steps. These are not optional. If you have not completed them, your matter will not be scheduled for a hearing.
1. Parenting After Separation Course
If your case involves children under 18, both parties must complete the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course. The certificate of completion must be dated within the last two years. The course is free and available online through the Alberta government. It covers the impact of separation on children, co-parenting strategies, and an overview of the court process.
Even if you feel you already understand these topics, the course is mandatory. The court will require proof of completion before your matter moves forward.
2. Full Financial Disclosure
If your case involves child support, spousal or partner support, or property division, both parties must exchange complete financial disclosure in digital format before the first court appearance. This is not a general summary of your finances. The court expects detailed documentation, including tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, and investment records.
If either party owns a business, the disclosure requirements are more extensive. Corporate financials, shareholder agreements, and dividend records must be included. Incomplete disclosure will stall your case.
The court has enforcement tools available if the other party refuses to produce their financial information. A Notice to Disclose application can be filed to compel production.
3. Alternative Dispute Resolution
Both parties must have attempted mediation, collaborative law, or another court-approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process within the previous six months. The court wants evidence that you tried to resolve your issues outside the courtroom before asking a judge to intervene.
This can include private mediation, a collaborative family law process, or another form of ADR approved by the court. The goal is to reach agreements on as many issues as possible before the matter proceeds to a contested hearing.
4. Family Court Counsellor Meeting
This requirement applies to self-represented litigants in Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer, where Family Court Counsellors are available. If you have a lawyer, this step does not apply. If you are representing yourself in one of those centres, you will need to meet with a Family Court Counsellor before your matter is scheduled.
What Happens at the Mandatory Intake Triage Conference
Once the mandatory pre-court requirements are satisfied and a claim is filed, your first court appearance will be a Mandatory Intake Triage (MIT) Conference. This is a one-hour session before a Family Roster Justice.
The MIT Conference is not a trial. It is a structured first appearance where the justice assesses your case and decides how it should proceed. At the MIT, the justice may:
- Grant interim relief, including temporary child support, spousal support, parenting arrangements, or advance costs
- Assess whether there are special circumstances that need to be addressed, such as domestic violence considerations, security concerns, cultural accommodations, or whether a child’s perspective should be included through a judicial interview
- Set the path forward toward a Settlement Conference
One important structural feature of the FFP is the assigned justice model. The MIT Justice is assigned to your family and oversees all interim needs and case conferences through to final determination. This provides consistent judicial oversight throughout your case. The only exception is the Settlement Conference, which uses a separate justice to preserve neutrality in case the matter goes to trial.
Exceptions for Urgent Matters
If your situation involves immediate safety concerns, you do not need to complete the four mandatory steps before accessing the court. The Urgent Process pathway exists for situations involving family violence, child safety concerns, risk of a child being removed from the province, and Emergency Protection Order reviews.
Protection order applications proceed through the Urgent Process and are not subject to the pre-court requirements. If you are in an unsafe situation, do not wait. Contact a lawyer or apply directly to the court.
What This Means for You
If you are starting a family law matter in Alberta, you should expect additional steps at the outset of your case. There is more preparation required before your first court appearance than there used to be. The process is more structured, and the court expects more from both parties before it will allocate judicial time to your file.
That said, the FFP is designed to produce better outcomes. The mandatory disclosure and ADR requirements mean that parties come to court better prepared and with a clearer understanding of the issues. The assigned justice model means your case is managed by someone who knows your file, rather than a different judge at every appearance.
Proper preparation is essential. Having legal counsel who understands the FFP requirements can help you meet each obligation on time, avoid delays, and position your case carefully from the very first appearance.
If you have questions about how the Family Focused Protocol applies to your situation, contact our office for a consultation. We can guide you through each step and advocate for your interests from the very beginning.