Advocate Jan 2014

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82 VOL. 72 PART 1 JANUARY <strong>2014</strong> THE ADVOCATE its operations to meet client needs. Built on a model of administrative enforcement, such as wage garnishment or the denial of drivers’ licences, the program has increased its rate of support-payments collections dramatically. For example, in its first year, just over $500,000 was received. Contrast that to about $16 million now processed monthly. Just as we are moving toward client-focused resources to solve legal disputes, such as the online Civil Resolution Tribunal, the FMEP has embraced technology to serve the changing needs of its clients. MEETING CLIENT NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS British Columbia’s family maintenance program was an early adopter of online tools, becoming the first enforcement program in Canada to launch a website providing easy-to-understand resources and tools, such as the child support calculator for parents and the support deduction calculator for businesses. Clients can now track information about their case online, communicate in a secure and confidential way, and have their payments made and deposited directly through ebanking. The FMEP website gets approximately one million hits each year, and the use of direct deposit is not only handy for clients, it is faster and more secure than mail and saves government money. Providing digital-based services recognizes that there is now an entire generation of adult British Columbians who have never known a time when the Internet did not exist. They will expect and, I believe, demand that a majority of their interactions with government occur online. We have an obligation to provide services that meet this reality and recognize that many people must look after their personal business outside of conventional office hours. The program also uses administrative tools effectively—the denial of drivers’ licences and the attachment of funds from employment or from federal government payments—to enforce maintenance payments, which keeps these types of conflicts out of the courtroom and, importantly, alleviates pressure on parents who no longer have to seek resolution in front of a judge. CONCLUSION: CLIENT SATISFACTION The FMEP has continual success because it has kept one guiding principle at the centre of its operations—meeting the needs of British Columbians. The lesson for government and other institutions providing services is that British Columbians don’t necessarily care how they find resolution, whether it’s in a courtroom, in person or online. They care that outcomes are fair and are delivered as quickly as possible.
THE ADVOCATE VOL. 72 PART 1 JANUARY <strong>2014</strong> 83 At the core of our work going forward is the belief that B.C.’s justice system must change with the changing needs of its citizens and that the needs of British Columbians will be better met through new service delivery options. We have introduced Justice Access Centres and alternatives to courts for family and civil justice matters, and we’re preparing to launch the online Civil Resolution Tribunal. These options complement the FMEP and mirror its innovation. The current budget for the Ministry of Justice is about $1 billion, and we continue to feel funding pressures even though the crime rate is decreasing. Through collaboration with our justice partners, we must seek alternatives to the old ways of doing things. A cost-neutral program, the FMEP helps keep conflicts over family maintenance support payments out of B.C.’s court system. As the FMEP demonstrates, these innovations succeed when they lead to better outcomes for the citizens we serve. The success of this program translates to success for B.C.’s children and families. t t t t t CONFIDENTIAL ADVICE & SUPPORT Compassion. Support. Education. All provided in the strictest of confidence. Every call we receive is treated as confidential. FOR A HEALTHY LEGAL COMMUNITY WE CAN HELP 1-888-685-2171
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THE ADVOCATE “Of interest to the
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Because not everyone is this lucky.
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Advocate Jan 2014

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