by Legal Aid BC (Legal Services Society)
Legal Aid BC has recently launched MyLawBC Family Resolution Centre (FRC), an online mediation tool that’s the first of its kind in Canada.
The FRC helps separating parents make a parenting plan that’s in the best interests of their children.
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan is a document that outlines how parents going through a separation or a divorce will raise their children. It covers issues such as making decisions about the children, vacation time, and other important topics.
How can MyLawBC help me?
The FRC provides parents with the platform, information, and tools needed to work together to create their plan. They’ll work together online to set out their parenting plan. If they can’t agree on every issue they can ask for a professional mediator’s help at the simple press of a button. It’s free and convenient and parents can go at their own pace in the privacy and comfort of their own homes.
Once downloaded, signed, and witnessed, the parenting plans are legally binding. If they choose to, parents can also add their parenting plan to a separation agreement or an order.
The FRC uses professional mediators who provide their services at no cost to the parents. This service is available to all parents in BC, though mediators will do an initial screening to decide if online mediation is appropriate. In cases where it isn’t, for instance if family violence is a factor, then the mediators will direct those parents to a better-suited service.
About the Family Resolution Centre
The FRC is a continuation of the work Legal Aid BC has done on MyLawBC to help increase access to justice in BC. It joins MyLawBC’s guided pathways and Dialogue Tool as fresh new ways to deliver legal information and services online. While the FRC only deals with parenting plans at this moment, we’re planning to extend it to other topics in the near future, dependent on available project funding. You can learn more about the FRC and our other services by visiting MyLawBC.com.
Other resources for separating parents
MyLawBC refers parents to useful resources to help make their parenting plan, including:
- Parenting After Separation courses
- information on including the voice of the child and deciding on the best interests of the child
- tips for working with an online mediator
Also see MyLawBC’s Dialogue Tool, where parents can create a separation agreement
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