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Access Family Mediation Service
Mediation

Access Family Mediation Service

Adapting to change during separation and divorce is challenging. This service provides flexible support, online or over the phone, to help manage relationship breakdowns, including resolving disputes for parenting and property arrangements.

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Overview

Who It's For

Anyone who needs support while going through a relationship breakdown, including divorce and separation. This service provides valuable assistance when face-to-face family mediation services at a Family Relationship Centre aren’t accessible, due your location or circumstances.

How We Help

We provide a range of services, including establishing child-focused written parenting agreements and negotiating mutually acceptable agreements around property, including assets and debts.

What to Expect

Our highly trained Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners (FDRPs) work with you to determine if mediation is right for you. If appropriate, the first session with both parties will usually run for three hours, online or on the phone.

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Our experienced FDRPs can help you with:

01
Parenting agreements covering living arrangements, communication, child support, education, healthcare and more
02
Agreements around finances, property, cash, assets and liabilities
03
Family Law information and referrals
04
Court-ordered dispute resolution
05
Lawyer-assisted family dispute resolution
06
Post-separation seminars and groups for parents and carers
07
Counselling support
A child's face shadowed with slats of light.

“The best thing about RANSW is that there are multiple services... which are interlinked and it is great to find everything in one place.”

Relationships Australia NSW client

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FAQs

Once you’ve made the decision to separate, it can be confusing and overwhelming to know what to do next. We welcome you to contact Relationships Australia NSW to help guide you through this process, and put you in contact with the services that you may need. We can help you determine the approach that’s most suitable for your unique situation. We also encourage all clients to seek their own legal advice.
If you are separating and you have children, and your partner refuses or fails to participate in the FDR process, then our Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner may issue you with a 60i certificate. This then enables you to apply to the Court for parenting orders. If you are separating and do not have children, and your case involves only property or financial matters, we recommend that you seek legal advice if the other party does not wish to participate in FDR.
The first session with your FDR Practitioner is called a Pre-mediation assessment. This is an individual session between yourself and your assigned practitioner for 1.5 hours. The purpose of this session is to determine whether Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is appropriate for your situation, and whether it is likely to achieve the outcomes each party want. We’ll consider the parties involved, the issues you present, and the proposed timing of FDR.
In some cases it can be agreed by both the FDR Practitioner (mediator) and the other party for other people to be present during mediation sessions including lawyers or support persons, however, this needs to be discussed and negotiated ahead of time. Please talk to your Family Advisor or FDR Practitioner if you would like to consider these options.
After you make an enquiry about mediation, our staff will conduct a screening process. This is to find out more about you, your ex-partner, and how safe your situation is. If mediation isn’t suitable or safe for you, we can provide you with a Section 60I certificate. We can also refer you to other services that can provide you with support, such as counselling, behaviour change programs, and domestic violence support groups.
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