Principal Investigator(s):
Dr. Tamar Meshel
Associate Professor
Faculty of Law
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
meshel@ualberta.ca
Invitation to Participate
You are invited to participate in this research study because you have experience with arbitrations in Alberta.
Purpose of the Study
From this research we wish to learn about the current state of family arbitration in Alberta and whether it needs to be separated from commercial arbitration.
The Alberta Arbitration Act governs all contractual domestic arbitrations taking place in Alberta, including family arbitrations. The Arbitration Act contains no provisions particular to family arbitrations and is not accompanied by any regulations governing family arbitrations. Family law statutes in Alberta are also silent on the issue of arbitrations. As a result, family arbitrations are conducted and regulated in the same manner as commercial arbitrations. However, family arbitrations may differ from commercial arbitrations in many ways, including the sophistication of the parties and the nature of the issues involved.
The Reforming Family Arbitration in Alberta Project explores the need for amending Alberta law to separate family and commercial arbitration. Most other Canadian provinces with modern arbitration legislation have enacted separate legislative provisions governing family and commercial arbitrations (British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan). The Project is a joint project of the Alberta Law Reform Institute and Professor Tamar Meshel of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.
Participation
If you wish to participate in this study, please complete the attached survey. The survey should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once you have completed the survey, please click the “submit” button. We would appreciate receiving it before May 31, 2026.
We will send you a notice of reminder 2 weeks before the deadline, regardless of whether you have already participated.
Risks
There are no risks associated with participation in the study.
Benefits
There are no direct personal benefits to participation in the study. The study will help learn more about the need, if any, to separate family and commercial arbitrations in the province.
