Settling Family Disputes

The mediators are qualified under Regulation 60 of the Family Law Reform Act to be family and child mediators.

The Family Law Act (1975) requires parties to attempt Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) before making an application to the courts for a Parenting Order. This includes new applications and applications seeking changes to an existing Parenting Order.
There are some exceptions to this requirement, such as cases involving family violence or child abuse, or where the matter is urgent.

Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners (FDRP) are specifically trained to deal with family issues and are qualified to issue s601 Certificates, which enables you to make an application to the Court.

Conflict and disputes are something all families experience at some point. The dispute may be:

• Within a family unit, such as between couples, between a parent and child, or between siblings;
• Between two or more family units, such as adult siblings and their families, grandparents and their children’s families, and blended families;
• Between separated couples and their respective families.

Family disputes can be about almost anything. Some of the most common topics people discuss in mediation and family dispute resolution are:

• Child/teenager behaviour;
• Children’s education, health and welfare;
• Contact with children (separated couples or extended families);
• Financial support for children (separated couples);
• Inability to communicate;
• Lack of trust;
• Lifestyle/environmental differences;
• Money/debt;
• Parenting differences;
• The breakdown of previous agreements;
• Property settlement (separated couples);
• Relationship breakdown;
• Verbal abuse/swearing or bullying.

Child Inclusive Practice (CIP)

Child Inclusive Practice is an evidence-based approach designed to hear the voices of children to ensure a child’s emotional needs are maintained post-separation. CIP is facilitated by trained practictioners in a safe environment, and is available to families with children aged 5-years and older.

Costs

*Conflict  Resolution  Service  Practitioners are  approved  to  issue  60I  Certificates