The Manitoba government is looking to make significant changes to the family law system, and its created a committee to help guide it.

Allan Fineblit will chair the committee.

He says in his experience there are few issues in a person's life more significant than the ones dealt with in the family justice system.

 

 

Fineblit says a lot of things can be dealt with administratively, and the idea is to streamline the process. He says the model he thinks works is one in which things are worked out outside of the courts, then are taken to a judge. He says the closest model to it he's seen is in Australia.

Justice minister Heather Stefanson says the reality is the system can be highly adversarial and irreparably damaging for families, especially young children.

 

 

The committee is to report back to minister Stefanson in early 2018. Their work will be used to inform proposed legislation that would be ready for introduction in spring of next year.