Family Mediation Services
Why choose mediation?
Whatever dispute you’re facing and wherever you’re at in the journey, you’re at a stalemate and need a way to move forward.
Perhaps you think family court is your only option? Not so. In fact, in Australia, federal legislation requires that family mediation must be undertaken before court proceedings can commence in parenting matters. For property matters, mediation is also often a requirement at various stages.
As your mediator, I follow an accredited dispute resolution process to help you and other parties involved reach an agreement on your dispute matters. This might mean sitting back and allowing you to devise your own options – or, if need be, stepping in and encouraging you towards a resolution.
Affordable and timely, mediation provides you with greater input into the process and the outcome. While agreements made in a mediation session are generally not legally binding, they can be given to your lawyer and then formalised by the court – providing a faster, more personalised and much cheaper alternative to court proceedings.
My Family Mediation Services
At Families in Practice, I provide mediation services to heterosexual and LGBTQI+ couples, grandparents, individuals in a donor situation, and more, for various types of matters, including:
Children and Parenting
Pet Custody
Financial matters such as property division, chattel division, and superannuation division
Child Inclusive Mediation
As a family dispute resolution specialist, I am also certified as a child inclusive mediator and counsellor. This certification enables me to support and powerfully realign your co-parenting relationship by focusing on the direct experiences of your children.
In this process, I work separately with your children to understand their feelings and experiences regarding your separation. I then provide you both with general feedback on how your children are coping and what they feel they need for support moving forward, whilst respecting your children's opinions and keeping their feedback confidential. This approach will help you gain a deeper understanding of your children's needs during this challenging time.
While child inclusive mediation is a powerful tool to help you realign your priorities and navigate disputes during separation, it is only suitable for certain cases. I will work with you to determine if this method is appropriate for your situation.
Family Mediation with Heart
I’m not your average mediator, and my clients aren’t just another family dispute.
For me, a successful outcome is not about racking up big billable hours or getting a tick in a box. It’s being a safe and trusted pair of hands to help you create a better future for you and your family.
Family mediation with heart means:
Taking a care-focused approach rather than an adversarial stance, ensuring you feel heard, your needs are met and encouraging amicable future relationships with other parties.
Recognising that situations evolve and what works for you and your family now may not work forever. Rather than simply sending you on your way, my services include a 6–12-month check-in to revisit your resolutions and ensure you stay on track.
Forming a genuine connection with you through compassion, empathy and my own lived experience as a wife, parent and child of divorce.
Making myself available to see you quickly (no waiting list), on weekends or after hours to fit in around work and parenting commitments. I also understand that life happens (e.g. kids get sick!), so will happily reschedule appointments if need be.
Fees
I recognise the complexity of family disputes and strive to offer simplicity and transparency regarding my fees. I provide a flat fee structure with rates tailored to different types of disputes. For a no-obligation chat about fees for your unique dispute, please get in touch.
Let’s get started
Book a free 15-minute chat to explore family mediation services for your unique situation.
Or Check out my FAQ’s for more information on the ins and outs of mediation.