Mediation vs. litigation: choosing the right path
How to weigh cost, time, privacy and family wellbeing when deciding how to resolve a dispute.
When a family dispute can't be resolved at the kitchen table, the next question is how to resolve it. The two main paths — mediation and litigation — produce very different experiences and very different outcomes.
Cost and time
Litigation in Alberta routinely takes 12–24 months and can cost tens of thousands of dollars per party. A typical mediation resolves in a handful of sessions over a few weeks, at a fraction of the cost.
Privacy
Court filings are public. Mediation is confidential — what's said in the room stays in the room, which makes it easier to speak honestly and explore options without fear of it being used against you later.
Control and relationships
In court, a judge decides. In mediation, you decide. That control matters most when there are children involved and the relationship has to continue long after the legal file closes.
Litigation has its place — particularly where there are safety concerns, urgent orders are needed, or one party refuses to engage in good faith. For most other families, mediation is the faster, cheaper, and healthier path.