Self-represented Litigants in Family Law Disputes: Views of Alberta Lawyers
Date
2012
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Publisher
Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family.
Abstract
The current study modified the instrument in a survey by Birnbaum & Bala (2012) with Ontario lawyers to obtain the experiences with and opinions of Albertans regarding self-representation. The Survey on Experiences with Self-represented Litigants was a web-based survey that was conducted with a sample of family law lawyers in Alberta. The sample was compiled from various lists maintained by the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family (CRILF) and e-mail addresses were verified by individual lawyers’ and law firms’ web sites and the 2012-13 Alberta Legal Telephone Directory. An initial invitation to complete the survey along with a link to the web site containing it was e-mailed to 174 family law lawyers across Alberta on June 13, 2012 with a request that they complete the survey by July 6, 2012. A reminder e-mail to the complete sample was sent on June 26th and the survey was closed to new responses on July 31, 2012. A total of 73 valid surveys were completed, resulting in a response rate of 42%. The survey contained background questions regarding respondents’ experience in the family law area in general, as well as their experiences with self-represented litigants in the family law area. In addition, participants were asked their views on alternatives to the traditional family law model, their opinions of parenting education workshops, and their involvement in providing pro bono services in family law.
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Citation
Bertrand, L.D, Paetsch, J.J, Bala, N., Birnbaum, R. (2012). Self-represented Litigants in Family Law Disputes: Views of Alberta Lawyers. Calgary, AB: Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family.