Disputes may include conflicts over child care, child support, financial arrangements and how to divide their property. Our Family Dispute Resolution service, also known as mediation, is provided with a focus on safety, the best interests of children, and ensuring that both people can participate.
Family Dispute Resolution, also known as mediation, uses a step-by-step process to help people involved to negotiate and reach an agreement. With the assistance of the practitioner (mediator), the people involved:
Family Dispute Resolution can happen in a variety of ways, such as:
The practitioner (mediator) will determine what is most appropriate for you and your circumstances.
At Relationships Australia Victoria, we can help you to resolve conflicts about children and parenting matters, or property and financial matters - either separately or together. We also provide Child-Inclusive Family Dispute Resolution and Child-Enhanced Family Dispute Resolution for parenting matters. Read more about these services here.
The Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (mediator), manages and facilitates the Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) process. The practitioner does not control what is discussed - the participants decide what to talk about and determine what decisions are made.
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners do:
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners do not:
Our Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners are highly-skilled and experienced. They have a variety of backgrounds, such as law or social sciences, and have additional training in resolving family disputes. All our practitioners are accredited by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department as Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners.
Parents who want to apply to the court to resolve disputes about their children (parenting matters) need to first try Family Dispute Resolution and obtain a certificate. This certificate is required by the court before a parenting application can be made. All our Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners are registered to provide this certificate.
There are some exceptions to the need for a certificate, such as cases involving family violence or child abuse, or if the matter is urgent. For more information, visit the Australian Government's Family Relationships Online website.
Read more about our Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) service here.
We offer a number of other services for people who are separating, including:
Contact us for more information on Family Dispute Resolution and how it could support you.
