Research and Articles

Conclusion and how CVIS supports Alberta practice across all seven major publications

 

Spanning national reviews, empirical studies, provincial guidelines, and established Canadian practice models—the evidence is clear and remarkably consistent: children benefit when their voices are meaningfully included in family-law decision-making. The 2019 and 2023 Department of Justice Canada reports emphasize that children overwhelmingly want opportunities to share their experiences in separation and parenting disputes, and they feel more respected, safer, and better understood when they can do so in a neutral, structured environment. The research also shows that when children participate, they experience less anxiety, demonstrate greater acceptance of outcomes, and report feeling empowered, even when their expressed preferences are not the determining factor in the final decision.

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The FREDA & RCY (2020) literature review reinforces that child participation is not merely a procedural courtesy—it is a rights-based obligation under the UNCRC. This review highlights that participation improves long-term emotional well-being and reduces the harmful effects of uncertainty during parental conflict. Cashmore’s influential 2011 work further establishes that children value the opportunity to be heard far more than the responsibility of decision-making, and that well-designed participation processes do not burden children, but rather support fairness and transparency in family-law systems.

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Jurisdictional practices across Canada—such as the Nova Scotia VOC Guidelines, the BC Hear the Child model, and Ontario’s Office of the Children’s Lawyer—offer well-developed frameworks that demonstrate how VOC can be implemented safely, consistently, and effectively. These models share common elements: neutral interviewers, developmentally appropriate protocols, clear and non-interpretive reporting, and rigorous standards for ensuring children’s views are represented accurately. Together, these practices reflect a national movement toward child-centred, rights-compliant family-law processes.

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In Alberta, however, the landscape is different. Unlike BC, Ontario, or Nova Scotia, Alberta does not yet have a standardized provincial VOC system. This has created a gap in service availability, quality, and consistency—especially as courts increasingly expect that children’s views be considered under the Divorce Act and the Family Law Act. This is where Clear Voice Interview Services Inc. (CVIS) plays a critical role. CVIS provides the very type of structured, neutral VOC process validated by all seven major sources: non-investigative interviewing that prioritizes children’s comfort and safety; developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed approaches; and written reports that capture children’s lived experiences clearly, respectfully, and without interpretation or recommendation. With more than 5,500 child interviews conducted by the CVIS team, and deep expertise in both forensic and family-law interviewing, CVIS offers one of the most qualified and reliable VOC services in the province.

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By aligning with national best practices and grounding its work in the research summarized above, CVIS fills Alberta’s structural gap by offering timely, professional, and neutral child-participation services that support lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and courts in making informed, child-centred decisions. CVIS helps ensure that the voices of Alberta’s children are heard consistently, respectfully, and ethically—exactly as the research, the legislation, and modern family-law practice all demand.