5. Review the agreement

If you reach an agreement through  (ADR), the ADR professional puts what CAS and you agreed on in a document.

Child protection mediators prepare a Mediator's Report that says which issues were discussed and what everyone agreed to. Indigenous approach facilitators and Family Group Conference coordinators make a summary of the plan that everyone agreed to.

Make sure your agreement is detailed and specific so you know what you have to do to follow it. You must also know what happens if you don't follow it. If you feel that something was left out of the agreement or if the ADR professional did not explain the agreement properly, you should let them and CAS know right away.

It's also a good idea to get legal advice before you sign any agreement that you reach in ADR. A lawyer can help you understand the agreement and what happens if you don't follow it.

Your agreement can be used as evidence if CAS later starts a court case related to your child. For example, if you don't follow the agreement, CAS might give the court a copy of the agreement to show that you did not do what you promised to.

Your agreement is not the same thing as a . But a lawyer can put what was in your agreement into a document called a “”. After everyone signs the minutes of settlement, it can be filed with the court and become a court order.

If ADR fails

Sometimes ADR doesn't work.

If it doesn't work, you should speak with CAS about what happens next. Also speak to your lawyer if you have one.

If you already had a court date, check your court papers to see when your next court date is. In most cases, you will have to continue the child protection process in court. Your ADR professional may write a letter saying you tried ADR but that you and CAS didn't reach an agreement. But they can't say what happened during ADR.

You can always try ADR again. You can try another type of ADR or choose a different ADR professional to work with.

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