“Quite frankly, families are spending far too much time and money in our courts. Those families, who because of delay become more entrenched, more vulnerable and more stressed while they remain in our court.”

Family Law Dispute Mediation helps families resolve conflicts related to divorce, parenting arrangements, or property division. It is a confidential and voluntary process where a neutral mediator facilitates constructive discussions, enabling parties to reach fair, practical agreements while avoiding the stress, cost, and delays of going to court. 

Why Family Dispute Resolution?

Separated families who have a dispute about parenting arrangements, such as children’s matters or property matters, are required by law to make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute through Family Dispute Resolution. It is a highly successful process that produces results and allows people to reach an agreement without the need for Court or expensive legal fees.

Do I need a lawyer to help me resolve these disputes? 

Absolutely not! The reason that mediation is encouraged by every court in Australia is that it works and it is significantly cheaper than the alternative.  

The average hourly rate of family lawyers is between $400 and $700. Conservatively let’s say your lawyer works on your file 2 hours each week and your matter takes 3 years to resolve (which is the average). On the lower end, your legal costs will be, $124,800 and on the upper end, $218,400. This is excluding Barristers and court fees.    

Now, remember that your ex-partner is doing the same thing. So, using the same example, collectively you both spend $400,000 which will more than likely be removed from the property pool. 

Cutting to the chase, mediation, on the other hand, is affordable for everyone. Our aim is to help families and the general public affected by conflict and disputes, reach solutions without going to Court. We offer a personalised service, flexible appointment times and no waitlist. You can settle your matters online without the need for in-person attendance. Meetings are conducted by teleconference or over the phone.   

While a case in the court system may take years, a negotiated settlement through the mediation process may only take a number of hours. Although the time it takes to reach a resolution varies from case to case, mediation will more often deliver an outcome agreeable to both parties in a fraction of the time it would take to move the case through the legal system.

Our Nationally Accredited Mediators focus on supporting both parties in reaching an agreeable solution with minimal damage to the relationship. This is often not the case within the legal system, but we believe it is absolutely vital when the parties retain a shared investment in their future, be it family or business. We also recognise that disputes affect more than just those directly involved, and we work hard to minimise that impact, particularly within families.