Designation Requirements
Designations allow our members to convey their level of experience and skill and are recognized internationally. Use the following information as an overview of designation requirements and to compare what is needed for each.
Mediation Designation Requirements
| Requirements | Qualified Mediator | Qualified Mediator (Family) | Chartered Mediator |
| Education | 40 hours of mediation 1 theory and skills training from a program approved by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) or acceptable to ADRIA’s Designations Committee AND 40 hours of specialized training in dispute resolution or related field2 AND 6 hours of ADR ethics (Note: ADRIA’s Communications in ADR course meets the requirement for 40 hours of specialized training in dispute resolution and the National Introductory Mediation course meets the requirement for 40 hours of mediation theory and skills training.) | 40 hours of mediation theory and skills training from a program approved by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) or acceptable to ADRIA Designations Committee AND 100 hours of ADRIC-Accredited specialized training in dispute resolution or related field, which must include a minimum of 80 hours specialized Family Mediation training; | 80 hours of mediation theory and skills training. (40-hours of mediation 1 theory and skills training from a program approved by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) or acceptable to ADRIA’s Designations Committee.) AND 100 hours of training in dispute resolution or related field6 |
| Experience | Conducted three mediations: – one actual mediation3 – one supervised mock mediation4 – one additional actual mediation or supervised mock mediation | Administrative Experience Provide documents demonstrating the ability to handle the administrative aspects of a separation/ divorce mediation from beginning to end. AND Practical experience Two years of experience working with families in a related context. AND Two family mediations or co-mediations as the lead mediator | Conducted at least 15 mediations7 as the sole mediator or the mediation chairperson8 and all 15 of the mediations must have been fee paid9. |
| Skills Assessment | Not required but the Designations Committee may require a skills assessment upon review of your application. | One supervised and assessed practice family mediation (assessed by a Supervisor approved by the Regional Affiliate). | Observation and approval of an applicant conducting a solo mediation, to occur within 12 months before the date of the application, through one or more of the following: • Formal Mediation Skills Assessment Role-play10 • Video recorded Actual Mediation11 |
| Letters of Recommendation | Provide three Letters of Recommendation5 (one character / personal and two professional) of your services as a mediator. | Provide three Letters of Recommendation5 (one character / personal and two professional) of your services as a mediator. | |
| Waiving Education Requirements | not applicable | not applicable | Education requirements may be waived where the ADRIA Designations Committee determines the applicant has satisfied or exceeded the Education Requirements above through proven skills, competency, and longevity in practice as recognized and recommended by peers12. |
| Membership | Must be a Full member with ADRIA. | Must be a Full member with ADRIA. | Must be a Full member with ADRIA. |
| Continuing Education and Engagement (CEE) | Practitioners holding a Qualified designation are required to acquire 20 points annually. | Practitioners holding a Qualified designation are required to acquire 20 points annually – including at least 6 points related specifically to Separation & Divorce dispute resolution. | Practitioners holding a Chartered designation are required to acquire 33 points annually. |
| Insurance | Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. | Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. | Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. |
| Application fee (Fees for skills assessments and supervised mock mediations are additional.) Annual Designation fee | $200 plus GST $132 plus GST | $200 plus GST $172 plus GST | $200 plus GST $231 plus GST |
2 Courses in conflict resolution, negotiation, communication, advanced mediation, ethics in dispute resolution, multiparty negotiation strategies, how to start a mediation business, designing systems for conflict management in organizations, when and how to use mediation case development, the influence of culture on conflict resolution approaches and resolving difficult workplace issues. The courses must be approved by ADRIA or ADRIC and meet the requirements of specialized training. For courses that have not received pre-approval from ADRIC or ADRIA, please contact the office for information on obtaining an equivalency.
3 One Actual Mediation (live, with real parties, not a roleplay) paid or unpaid, and must provide a 300-500 word description of each mediation). If a co-mediation the applicant must clearly have been the lead mediator, not simply a co-mediator. While there is no hard and fast determination, criteria for being the lead mediator in a co-mediation may include some of the following indicators: The applicant chaired the mediation; The applicant took a primary role is running the session; The applicant organized the process during the mediation by actively guiding the discussions, delegating time to the other mediator and/or the parties, and having a primary voice during the session; It will be the responsibility of the applicant to describe and establish that they were the lead mediator in a co-mediation for it to count toward the required number of mediations. Please see the application form for further details.
4 One Supervised Mock Mediation either booked through the ADRIA office, or set up and video recorded by the candidate. See Supervised Mock Mediation Guidelines. The candidate must complete all stages/phases of the model in the mock (roleplay) mediation. Candidates must meet a specific set of standards to be deemed competent. The Supervised Mock Mediation is conducted separately and apart from any classroom evaluation occurring as part of the students’ mediation training, either at ADRIA or another approved mediation program. The Supervised Mock Mediation can be conducted in person or online. There is a cost associated with this review. Please see the application form for further details.
5 Letters of Recommendation should speak to the candidates’ industrious abilities, accomplishments, seriousness of purpose, and capacity as a mediator. Include any information that may not be readily apparent from education, skills assessments, test scores, transcripts, or even in an interview. The letter should speak to the candidates’ character (integrity, ethics, and leadership qualities). The referee must explain their connection to the candidate, including how long they have known the candidate. The letters can be from someone the candidate co-mediated with, colleagues who have seen their work, someone from a Roster Program, and others who could speak from their experience of seeing the candidate mediate.
6 Dispute resolution generally, psychology of dispute resolution, negotiation, public consultation, mutual gains bargaining, communication, management consulting, conflict management, or other related training that has been approved by ADRIA or ADRIC to meet the C.Med educational requirements.
7 A “mediation” is a discreet event contracted for by the parties. A situation where a person helps two subordinates resolve a conflict is not considered a mediation. However, if the full or part-time duties of an applicant specifically include the conducting of structured mediations, these would count toward the C.Med. Where a person is conducting mediations with staff members who do not report to that person, these may count as mediations provided the person was specifically identified as an impartial mediator, and the mediation was structured and conducted as a mediation, not as an informal meeting to resolve a problem.
8 The applicant must clearly have been the lead mediator or chairperson, not simply a co-mediator.
9 A “paid” mediation” is a mediation where the mediator receives a salary, payment, or reasonable honorarium specifically for mediation services. The amount received by the mediator is not subject to any specific minimum amount, provided it is a legitimate and reasonable amount in the context within which the mediation took place.
10 A Formal Mediation Skills Assessment
with an assessor and role-players chosen from an ADRIA roster of approved assessors and roleplayers who hold C.Med designations. This assessment is conducted separately and apart from any classroom evaluation occurring as part of the students’ mediation training, either at ADRIA or another approved mediation program. There is a cost associated with this assessment. This assessment must be completed within 12 months of applying for a C.Med designation. The Mediation Skills Assessment Role-play can be conducted in person or online. There is a cost associated with this assessment.
11 Video recorded actual mediation assessed by at least three assessors chosen from an ADRIA roster of approved assessors, at least two of whom hold a C.Med. designation. There is a cost associated with this assessment.
12 Where the Designations Committee agrees by a majority that the applicant has satisfied or exceeded the education requirement through proven skills, competency, and significant longevity in practice, as well as by public recognition of peers in the dispute resolution field, the education requirements .may be waived. The decision of the ADRIA Designations Committee must be supported by documented reasons for the recommendation.
Mediation Designation Information Video
Arbitration Designation Requirements
| Requirements | Qualified Arbitrator | Chartered Arbitrator |
| Education | 40 hours of arbitration and hearing procedure training approved by ADRIC or ADRIA AND Successful completion of ADRIC’s written open book Qualified Arbitrator exam or an exam which is part of a course approved by ADRIC or ADRIA no more than 10 years prior to application | 40 hours of arbitration and hearing procedure training approved by ADRIC or ADRIA AND Successful completion of ADRIC’s written open book Chartered Arbitrator exam or an exam which is part of a course approved by ADRIC or ADRIA no more than 10 years prior to application |
| Experience | Not required | Practiced as an arbitrator for not less than two years AND Chaired14 at least 10 arbitrations, all of which were fee-paid15 (or, if unpaid, demonstratively complex) |
| Skills Assessment | Not required | Provide at least two redacted arbitration awards/decisions for review. |
| Letters of Recommendation | Not required | Provide three Letters of Recommendation16 (one character / personal and two professional) of your services as an arbitrator. |
| Waiving Education Requirements | Not Applicable | Education requirements may be waived where the ADRIA Designations Committee determines applicant has satisfied or exceeded the Education Requirements above through proven skills, competency, and longevity in practice as recognized and recommended by peers17. |
| Membership | Must be a Full member with ADRIA. | Must be a Full member with ADRIA. |
| Continuing Education and Engagement (CEE) | Practitioners holding a Qualified designation are required to acquire 20 points annually. | Practitioners holding a Chartered designation are required to acquire 33 points annually. |
| Insurance | Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. | Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. |
| Application fee (Fees for skills assessments and supervised mock mediations are additional.) Annual Designation fee | $200 plus GST $132 plus GST | $200 plus GST $231 plus GST |
14 The applicant must clearly have been the lead arbitrator or chairperson, not simply co-arbitrator.
15 A “paid” arbitration is an arbitration where the arbitrator receives a salary, payment or reasonable honorarium specifically for arbitration services. The amount received by the arbitrator is not subject to any specific minimum amount, provided it is a legitimate and reasonable amount in the context within which the arbitration took place. In exceptional circumstances described in writing by the Regional Committee, where any unpaid arbitrations are demonstrably complex and involved, the Regional Committee may accept any or all of them as counting toward the total of 10 arbitrations required.
16 Letters of Recommendation should speak to the candidates’ industrious abilities, accomplishments, seriousness of purpose and capacity as an arbitrator. The letter should speak to the candidates’ character (integrity, ethics and leadership qualities). The referee must explain their connection to the candidate, including how long they have known the candidate. The letters can be of a Party to an arbitration conducted by applicant, a Counsel in arbitration conducted by applicant, a Co-Arbitrator or others who could speak from their experience of seeing the candidate arbitrate.
17 Where the Designations Committee agrees by majority that the applicant has satisfied or exceeded the education requirement the educational requirement may be waived. The decision of the ADRIA Designations Committee must be supported by documented reasons for the recommendation.
Chartered Mediator-Arbitrator Designation Requirements
| To be eligible for a C.Med-Arb, the applicant must hold both the C.Med and C.Arb designations. In addition to: |
| Education: Completion of 16 hours of the ADRIC Med-Arb training course (or an ADRIC Accredited Med-Arb Course). The ADRIC Med-Arb training course or an ADRIC Accredited training course would cover Med-Arb agreements, other forms of combining mediation and arbitration, one-person and 2-person models (advantages and disadvantages), preserving Natural Justice, transitioning between mediation and arbitration, ethical issues in Med-Arb, Med-Arb awards, Med-Arb simulation, video-conference MedArb, post Med-Arb corrections, reviews and approvals. |
| Experience: Having conducted at least 1 Med-Arbitration |
| Skills Assessment: Not required. |
| Letters of Recommendation: Not required. |
| Membership: Must be a Full member with ADRIA. |
| Continuing Education and Engagement (CEE): In addition to collecting the appropriate CEE points for their C.Med and C.Arb designations, every three years, Chartered Med-Arbitrators are required to take part in a refresher Med-Arb course or training (which may be online training and scenarios practice), and conduct at least one Med-Arb, as per the Continuing Education and Engagement Program and submit a report along with required certificates. |
| Insurance: Errors and Omissions insurance with a limit of at least $1 million aggregate. |
| Application fee: $200.00 (Fees for skills assessments and supervised mock mediations are additional.) Annual Designation fee: $308.00 |
Designation Application Process
Steps You Need to Take
- Check that you meet the application requirements (see charts above)
- Check the application deadline (ADRIA’s Designations Committees review the applications three times per year and then forward their recommendations to ADRIC for evaluation. The application review process can take several weeks. Find out more on the ADRIC website.)
- Complete the application
- Submit the application
Process at ADRIA & ADR Canada
- Review your application for completeness
- An e-mail confirmation will be sent to each applicant who has submitted a complete application
- After the application deadline, issue an invoice for the application fee
- Once invoices have been paid, forward all complete applications to the Regional Assessment Committee (RAC, the Alberta designation committees)
- Forward applications approved by the RACs to the national Mediation or Arbitration Designations Committee
- Notify all applicants of application status
- Successful applicants will be invoiced for designation fees by ADR Canada
Meet the Regional Assessment Committees (RAC)
Applications for a designation from the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) are first reviewed by regional assessment committees. Once the application has been reviewed by the regional committee, if it meets the requirements, it will be forwarded to ADRIC’s national Mediation or Arbitration Designation Committee.
The Committees are comprised of members selected by the affiliate for their recognized experience and standing in the ADR Community.
Alberta Arbitration Regional Assessment Committee
- J.B. Isaacs, C.Arb, C.Med – Chair
- Don Goodfellow, C.Arb
- John Kosolowski, C.Arb
- Thomas (Tom) Jolliffe, C.Arb
- Arbitration Designation Committee Terms of Reference
Alberta Mediation Regional Assessment Committee
- Marne Turnbull, C.Med – Chair
- Moosa Jiwaji, C.Med
- Monica Kreiner, C.Med
- Deborah Howes, C.Med
- Anna Rose, C.Med
- Mediation Designation Committee Terms of Reference
Apply for Your Designation
Application Fees
The application fee is $200 plus GST. You will be invoiced by email when the ADRIA office receives your application and you can make your payment online.
Application Deadlines
ADRIA accepts designation applications 3 times/year. The application windows are as follows:
| APPLICATION PERIOD | DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS | REVIEW PERIOD |
|---|---|---|
| February | February 28 | March |
| June | June 30 | July |
| October | October 31* | November |
Applications will only be kept open for one additional period beyond when they are submitted (i.e., an application submitted in June will be kept open until the end of the October submission period). If the application does not meet all the requirements within this time frame, the applicant must re-submit their application.
An e-mail receipt confirmation will be sent to each applicant. If you have sent in your application and do not receive your e-mail receipt confirmation, you must contact the ADRIA office before or by the deadline. If you do not contact the ADRIA office by the deadline, your application will not be accepted.
Application Forms
Maintain Your Designation
To maintain your designation you will need to maintain your full membership with ADRIA (or another regional/provincial affiliate of ADR Canada). You will also need to report your continuing education and engagement credits and pay your annual designation renewal fees.
Annual Designation Renewal Fees
Members with a designation pay an annual renewal fee directly to ADRIC. ADRIC emails an invoice at the beginning of each year to professionals holding a designation.
| RENEWAL TYPE | 2023 DESIGNATION RENEWAL FEE (INCLUDING CEE FILING FEE) |
|---|---|
| C.Arb or C.Med Annual Renewal | $231.00 |
| C.Arb and C.Med Annual Renewal | $293.00 |
| C.Med-Arb, C.Arb and C.Med Renewal | $308.00 |
| Q.Arb or Q.Med Annual Renewal | $132.00 |
| C.Arb and Q.Med Annual Renewal | $258.00 |
| C.Med and Q.Arb Annual Renewal | $258.00 |
| Q.Arb and Q.Med Annual Renewal | $183.00 |
Continuing Education and Engagement Credits (CEE)
Since 2009, Chartered and Qualified Mediators have been required to submit a report with an administrative fee of $99 every three years, indicating they have achieved the requisite number of CEE points to maintain their designated status.
New, beginning January 1, 2021:
- NEW CEE Program for Designated Arbitrators: Designated ARBITRATORS (Chartered Arbitrators, Qualified Arbitrators and Chartered Med-Arbitrators) will be required to collect points and submit regular CEE reports. This will increase the value of the designations in the eyes of ADR consumers as it will indicate the ongoing professional standards associated with continued learning.
- Simpler point system: for those holding two designations (mediation and arbitration), we have revised the CEE points chart and combined the total number of points required for easy reporting. We will share the revised chart and instructions before year end.
- Those with two designations: There will be no additional reporting fee for those with two designations who already submit a CEE report for their mediation designation.
- Fees: Fees are NOT being increased, but rather spread out over the three year reporting period. The $99 administrative fee (previously submitted with CEE report every three years) will instead be incorporated into the annual designation renewal fee as $33 per year. There will be no separate fee when submitting reports (except during the transition period).
- Annual reporting: the new default report submission period will be annual, making reporting more convenient. In cases where attendance of events and continued learning may be challenging (such as during maternity/paternity leave, grave illness, etc.) designated members may request to submit their reports every third year in which case ADRIC will provide a form to be completed.
- Points: For members who remit annually, the number of points to acquire and remit is: 20 points for Qualified designation holders, and 33 points for Chartered designation holders. (For those who need to remit on the 3rd year, required points remain as 60 points for Qualified designation holders, and 100 points for Chartered designation holders over the 3 year period.)
- Due dates: will be harmonized; we will share more information about the reporting process soon, but in the meantime, reports for members who have received a first new designation in 2020, will be due January 1, 2022. Reports for those receiving a new first designation any time next year (2021), will be due January 1, 2023.
- Submitting CEE reports: ADRIC is prioritising the development of a simpler points tracking system (ideally online and real-time) and hopes to launch soonest. We will provide more information soon. Note: Some designated mediators are due to submit their reports in 2020, 2021 or 2022 and we will need to “catch them up” to the new system. This is how that will be handled for those due in:
2021 – submit the report with a $66 fee, as we will have collected $33 with the 2021 annual designation renewal fee.
2022– submit the report with a $33 fee, as we will have collected $66 with the 2021 and 2022 annual designation renewal fees.
In addition to collecting the appropriate CEE points for their C.Med and C.Arb designations, every three years, Chartered Med-Arbitrators are required to take part in a refresher Med-Arb course or training (which may be online training and scenarios) practice, and conduct at least one Med-Arb, as per the Continuing Education and Engagement Program and submit a report along with the required certificates.
You will find instructions and a worksheet on the ADRIC website. You will be asked to submit your CEE report and administration fee online directly to ADRIC
Designations FAQs
Yes. In order to apply for a designation, you are required to have full membership with the ADR Institute of Alberta which includes a full membership with the ADRIC.
ADRIA accepts the applications from our members on behalf of ADRIC, and our regional committees review the applications before they are forwarded to ADRIC for final assessment. ADRIA accepts designation applications 3 times/year. You can read more about the application process here.
You can see a basic summary of the requirements for each designation here.
Read our article “How to Apply for an ADR Designation” to answer the most common questions our office receives about the designation process.
To fully understand all the requirements and forms which need to be submitted for each designation, please read the application information booklets and forms on our Designations page.
You can also find additional information on ADRIC’s website. If you still have questions, our office staff would be happy to answer your inquiries by phone or email.
The Certificate in Separation and Divorce Mediation fulfills all of the specialty education requirements to apply for a Q.Med Family designation, excluding Ethics for Mediators.
Read more about Practical Ethics for Mediators here.
Read more about the Certificate in Separation and Divorce Mediation here.
Read more about Q.Med Family designation requirements here.
Read our article “How to Apply for an ADR Designation” to answer the most common questions our office receives about the designation process.
To fully understand all the requirements and forms which need to be submitted for each designation, please read the application information booklets and forms on our Designations page.
You can also find additional information on ADRIC’s website. If you still have questions, our office staff would be happy to answer your inquiries by phone or email.
Marsh Canada Limited is the appointed broker for the ADRIC Group Insurance Program. The program, has been specially designed and allows for ADRIC Full members in good standing to benefit from the power of group purchasing for their professional liability insurance needs with additional optional coverages also available for commercial liability, cyber liability, property, personal legal expense insurance and ID restoration services.
More information on the ADRIC Group Insurance Program can be found here https://adric.ca/membership/member-benefits/professional-insurance-program/
Please visit the Marsh website at marsh.ca/adr for a quote or contact your Marsh Canada licensed insurance broker at 1 888 711 9010 or errorsandomissions.insurance@marsh.com for more information.
