Dispute Resolution: Family Arbitration as a Form of Early Family Dispute Resolution: Using Arbitration for Time and Cost-Efficient Outcomes
Date/Time: Monday, March 9, 2026 |12:00 - 1:00 pm (SK) | Zoom
Speaker: Charmaine Panko, K.C., Panko Collaborative Law and Mediation
Section Chair: Neil McPhee, Scharfstein LLP
Cost: Free for CBA Members
Description
Join Charmaine Panko, K.C., for a focused lunchtime session on how families can effectively use family arbitration as a form of Early Family Dispute Resolution (EFDR). Charmaine, an experienced collaborative lawyer and mediator based in Saskatoon, will explain how arbitration can be designed and deployed early in a separation or divorce to deliver enforceable, timely and cost-effective resolutions while preserving procedural fairness and party autonomy.
What this session will cover
• Rationale for family arbitration: when arbitration is preferable to litigation, mediation or collaborative processes.
• Cost and time efficiencies: case management techniques, summary procedures, and methods to limit scope and expense without compromising fairness.
• Party autonomy and client counselling: how counsel should advise clients about risks, benefits and strategic timing for opting into arbitration early in the dispute.
• Integration with other EFDR processes: hybrid models, using arbitration alongside mediation or collaborative practice to preserve relationships and encourage settlement.
• Ethical and practical considerations: confidentiality, impartiality, disclosure obligations and best practices for arbitrators and counsel.
Why attend
Attendees will gain concrete, practice-oriented guidance on how to use the family arbitration process so to achieve enforceable outcomes promptly and economically. The session will equip practitioners to counsel clients on realistic expectations, and choose procedural designs that balance speed, cost and fairness.
This program qualifies for 1.0 CPD hours under the Law Society of Saskatchewan Continuing Professional Development Policy.
This will be a zoom webinar so you can join via your computer or phone. We will provide instructions when you register of how to access Zoom if you are not familiar with this format.
