Family Dispute Resolution

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 you can make an application to the Court 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 s60I Certificates, which enable 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’s 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 evidenced 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 practitioners, 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