Victoria — B.C. is proposing a sweeping rewrite of its laws for separation, divorce and child custody, to encourage out-of-court settlements instead of costly legal battles.

Families who need a court’s help to settle a dispute over relationships, property or children will have to show they discussed mediation or conflict resolution first, B.C. Attorney General Mike de Jong announced Monday.

“Family law is built around a very adversarial mode. And we think there is a better way, when a family changes or a relationship comes apart … to resolve some of those issues than rushing off to court immediately,” de Jong said.

The proposed changes are the result of a four-year review into the Family Relations Act, which hadn’t been overhauled since it was created 32 years ago. The government intends to replace it with a new Family Law Act next year.