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Family Law Mediation & Dispute Resolution

At Mediations Australia, we resolve family law disputes with significantly better outcomes not to mention the massive cost and time saving for those involved.

Family Law Arbitration

If you're considering Family Law Arbitration, Mediations Australia have a team of arbitrators who can help.
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Family Law Mediations

If you're considering Family Law Mediations, Mediations Australia have a team of Accredited Mediators who can help.
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Collaborative Family Lawyers

If you're considering a collaborative law process to assist in your family law dispute resolution, Mediations Australia can help.
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At Mediations Australia, no matter what state you're at in your family law dispute, even if you already have lawyers involved, we can help.

A Section 601 Certificate is mandatory before an Application for Parenting Orders. We can assist in the provision of 601 Certificates.

Often the heart of a family dispute, property settlements can be settled through mediation, saving people tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you're trying to negotiate parenting arrangements with your ex-partner, we can help you come to an agreement.

If you and your ex-partner were in a de facto relationship, for a period of 2 years or more, you and your ex-partner may be required to participate in mediation. We can help.

People are able to negotiate their own child support arrangements. If you and your ex-partner are in dispute in this regard, we can help.

At Mediations Australia, a core part of what we do is mediate and reach an agreement for people in disputes regarding assets and liabilities.

Often in the context of a family dispute, grandparents are left out. At Mediations Australia, we facilitate mediations for grandparents and the separated couple.

At times family disputes necessitate one person assisting the other financially, now and into the future. We can assist in the negotiation and the reaching of agreements in these matters.

How Family Law Mediation Works

At Mediations Australia, through family law mediation, our mediators are redefining how legal problems get resolved. We believe that the majority of family law problems aren’t legal problems at all and we apply our proven method to sort them out, faster, cheaper and without all the collateral damage that you can expect from litigations.

Step 1

The Preparation Phase

We call this the ``preparation phase.`` It's all about our mediators getting to know you, the issues/s, answer your questions, set the expectations and put you well and truly in the picture of how the mediation process works. This can happen in-person, by video-link up or by phone. We then reach out to the other party (person/business or other type of organisation) and do the same with them. We then set a time and location for the mediation to occur.

Step 2

The Introductory Phase

If you and the other party are amicable, then it may suit to have the mediation facilitated by our mediators in one room. However, if that isn't the case, the family law mediation is facilitated by what we call a shuttle, and each party is in their own room and the negotiation is back and forward. This phase is all about setting up the boundaries and objectives of the mediation.

Step 3

The Understanding Phase

This is all about our family law mediators getting a better sense of the issues. At this time, each party summarises their position. The whole objective here is for you and the other party to completely understand what the real issues are. These issues are defined as those in dispute and the negotiation targets each one of them individually.

Step 4

The Negotiation Phase

With both parties having a clearer picture of the issues, our family law mediators work through a process that looks to find a resolution to each issue. We will explore all the opportunities for settlement and we will work with both parties to overcome any sticky points along the way during the course of the mediation.

Step 5

The Agreement Phase

The mediation culminates in an agreement phase. The terms of that agreement will be summarised by our mediators, put into an agreement that will become legally binding.

Make an Appointment Now

You can make an appointment online directly with one of our team. Simply choose a day and time that suits you and we will contact you at the nominated time.

Commonly Asked Mediation Questions

At Mediations Australia, we understand that when you think that the only way to resolve a family law dispute is through lawyers and courts. With that in mind, here we answer your most commonly asked mediation questions.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is an alternate dispute resolution process and compulsory step stipulated by the Family Law Act to get couples in a family law dispute to negotiate an outcome that is agreeable to both of them. It is a process facilitated by family law mediators (neutral third party), but the couple controls the outcome. However, invariably it is the case, that if a couple choose to litigate their family law dispute, the family law mediation step is seen as a formality and this approach undermines a process that can ultimately bring a resolution to the conflict, saving significant time, significant legal fees, and outcomes that are likely not satisfactory to either person.

Why Mediate and Not Litigate?

Rarely is the case that couples who litigate their family law matters are happy with the outcome. Why? Because the involvement of lawyers invariably can lead to issues becoming both more complex and more emotionally-charged. This means that resolving your family law dispute can become very expensive. Notwithstanding this, it’s likely that the final outcome, neither person is happy about. It’s well-reported that resolving your family law matters with lawyers will cost on average, between $40,000 and $80,000 and will take approximately 3.5 years. In contrast, a family law mediation with Mediations Australia will cost each person, in the vicinity of $1,500 and will take up to one-day.

Will Mediation Work for Us

Yes! Providing both of you acknowledge that the alternative is litigation of which is likely too much more emotionally draining, time-consuming, expensive and the imposition of an outcome that neither of you is likely to find the most suitable. Secondly, you need to come to the table leaving some baggage behind and a willingness to work things out together. Yes, it’s not a walk in the park, but our experienced Mediators will likely be able to move things to a point of which you previously didn’t think was possible!

How Does Family Mediation Work?

Well, it can work in a variety of ways that best suits your circumstance and of course, how amicable you and your ex-partner already are. For example, you and your ex-partner may have collaboratively agreed that the relationship no longer worked and now you both just want to tie up the loose ends in a way that those agreements are binding. If you have both received independent legal advice or you haven’t yet or intend to, then Mediations Australia Family Law Mediation can see both you and your partner together and provide an initial information session covering the mediation process. Alternatively, if you are already engaged in the legal process to resolve your family law matters, but now wish to draw into an end through alternate dispute resolution, then you can request mediation or simply ask us to do this on your behalf. We can then interact with your family lawyer.

What Does Mediation Cost?

Significantly cheaper than trying to resolve your family law dispute with lawyers. A family law mediation will cost $1,650.00 for each person. This is a fixed-fee regardless of whether the mediation takes 8 hours or 4 hours. If you’re unaware at this point what the alternative costs are, consider that your family lawyer’s fees will be in the vicinity of $350 – $600 per hour, which very quickly can amount to tens of thousands of dollars if your family law matter lingers on, which most do when lawyers are involved. Not to mention, if your matter ends up in court, prepare to pay just for the preparation and first court date $6,000 to $12,000 or more in legal fees, not to mention court fees. Remember, the time to get to court is usually 12 months to 2 years later, of which legal fees accrue (sometimes up to hundreds of thousands of dollars) and the relationship between all involved becomes much more toxic and anger-fused.

If We Come to an Agreement, is it Legally Binding?

Absolutely! A signed settlement agreement is as enforceable as any other contractual agreement. However, some Family Law mediation agreements must be lodged with a court to be recognised. Your Mediators will be able to advise you on this and at Mediations Australia, we will have the agreement constructed, perused by one of our lawyers and lodged in the Court on behalf of both you and your ex-partner.

What Happens if We Cannot Agree During Mediation?

A small number of couples who choose to do family law mediation, unfortunately, are unable to agree on all matters. However, if there is agreement on some matters, these can be enshrined in an agreement that is legally enforceable. For those matters unable to be mediated successfully, it may be the case that there is better clarity of the sticky-points that will allow you or your ex-partner to consider them with a little more time and choose to return to the mediation table at a later point. Alternatively, you may now wish to seek some legal intervention having benefited from identifying the key issues preventing resolution and isolating legal focus on those points alone. We can connect you to one of our Collaborative Lawyers.

How Do We Start the Mediation Process?

At Mediations Australia, our Accredited and experienced Mediators offer you and your partner, a free initial consultation. This can occur in a number of ways, either individually in-person, via our state-of-the-art video technology or by phone. Alternatively, this free initial appointment can occur with both of you present, again either in-person, video or phone. The latter option works really well if you and your ex-partner have moved beyond the raw emotions and now just want to sort out the details and iron out an agreement.

Who are the Mediations Australia Mediators?

It’s probably not surprising that all of our Mediators at Mediations Australia are either practising family lawyers or have been practising family law for many years. Typically it is the case that our Mediators chose to undertake further study to become Mediators because they had experienced first-hand the failings of the family law system, in particular, the lunacy of wasting so much money and time, not to mention the fact that litigation aggravates already strung-out relationships.

Make an Appointment Now

You can make an appointment online directly with one of our team. Simply choose a day and time that suits you and we will contact you at the nominated time.

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