Reducing conflict so you can focus on the big picture.
Our goal is to help people involved in family law disputes in Alberta and British Columbia resolve their differences with courage, respect and integrity. We aim to resolve family law problems fairly, quickly and at the lowest possible cost, while reducing the impact of disagreements on children, minimizing conflict and promoting parents’ ability to work together in the future.
Mediation & Arbitration Services
John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers provides mediation, arbitration and parenting coordination services for family law disputes in Alberta and British Columbia. As a mediator, John-Paul helps people identify opportunities for compromise, engage in constructive dialogue and reach a cost-effective settlement. When agreement is or becomes impossible, John-Paul resolves disputes as an accredited arbitrator, hearing evidence and arguments after working with the parties to build a streamlined process that is appropriate to their circumstances and the complexity of the issues.
Expert Services
John-Paul E. Boyd, KC is a nationally-recognized educator, consultant and writer on family justice and dispute resolution. His advice is regularly sought by lawyers, professional associations and governments, and he is often asked to prepare legal opinions, reference materials and handbooks on family law issues. John-Paul provides consulting services on complex family law matters, policy and regulatory reform, and public and professional legal education. He is available to provide expert evidence on the law of Alberta, British Columbia and Canada, ethical and practice issues, and family breakdown and the family justice system.
Parenting coordination SERVICES
As a parenting coordinator, John-Paul works with parents to implement final orders, awards and agreements about children’s parenting arrangements, and improve their problem-solving and communication skills. Instead of going to court, parents contact John-Paul when they can’t agree about a parenting issue. He first helps them try to reach an agreement, like a mediator. However, if the parents can’t agree on a resolution or the issue is urgent, John-Paul makes a decision resolving the dispute, like an arbitrator.
Children’s legal services
John-Paul prepares non-evaluative views of the child reports to help parents and decision-makers hear and understand children’s perspectives and preferences. John-Paul also drafts children’s affidavits for use in court as independent counsel, and provides independent legal advice to children and youth when their informed consent is required, as it may be when a guardian is appointed for a child, if a child adopted or if a child’s name is changed.
