Mediation

Family Dispute Resolution and Mediation

Relationship breakdowns and family disputes are often emotional and difficult, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. To help you through, our Family Relationship Centres offer Family Dispute Resolution, also sometimes known as family mediation, in NSW.

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Overview

Who It's For

It's compulsory under Australian family law for separated parents to try Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) before applying to a family law court for parenting orders. There are exceptions, such as where FDR will be unsafe or unsuitable, if there's been violence in the relationship, or one or both parents are unable to participate.

How We Help

Family Dispute Resolution offers a safe and impartial space to help you make decisions in the best interests of your children. We can also help you navigate property and financial mediation, establish child-focused parenting agreements, and manage changing family dynamics through this challenging time.

What to Expect

Our highly trained staff will have several conversations with you individually first to check whether FDR is right for you and your family. Initial consultation sessions are usually 30 minutes, and we’ll work with you to plan a session at a time and location that suits your needs.

What is Family Dispute Resolution?

Family Dispute Resolution (FDR), sometimes also known as family mediation, is a practical way for separating or separated partners to try and resolve disagreements, and make arrangements for the future. It’s a way of jointly working through decisions in relation to your children, finances and property after your relationship has ended.

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We can support you with:

Help with making decisions on matters relating to children

Property and financial mediation

Family law information and referrals

Providing referrals to help support children through separation

Post-separation workshops for parents and children

Domestic and family violence screening and referrals

Lawyer-assisted family dispute resolution

"I felt understood with my issues and I felt comfortable speaking honestly about my concerns in order to reflect and create my parenting plan. A parenting plan was something I felt I needed to do for some time and never did it in the early days of my separation, but always wanted to. I felt a bit anxious about finally going through with it, putting things officially on paper and talking to others about my concerns. But I felt really supported in my experience with my mediator."

- Mediation client

"The best thing about the service was the empathy and time given to listen to my side of the situation, which made me feel calm."

- Mediation client

‘"Having some online, and even phone calls, was a good way to feel for me to feel like I was in a real safe space and not feel intimidated by anyone and given time to respond."

- Mediation client

Fees

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Income band Gross household income

First hour of first joint session Per person

Second and third hour of first joint session Per person

Per hour session for subsequent joint sessions Per person (minimum 2 hours)

Child Inclusive Practice Per parent

Fees for services are waived for individuals who have been issued with a Centrelink Concession card or Health Care card, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identified clients and in some other circumstances (e.g. for clients who have been granted Legal Aid for the parenting issue being discussed at the Centre). Fee waivers are at the discretion of the Centre Manager. Please note: no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. Please ask about concessions or fee waivers that may apply to your case, or discuss your circumstances with your practitioner.

Find a location near you

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Centre Locations

Our services are available 6 days per week through most centres.

Bathurst Centre

Wiradjuri Country

91 Seymour Street, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Blacktown Centre

Darug Country

level 2/2 Warrick Lane, Blacktown NSW 2148, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Macquarie Park

Darug Country

level 1/68 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Northern Beaches Centre

Gai-mariagal Country

651 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why NSW 2099, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Penrith Centre

Darug Country

level 2/606 High Street, Penrith NSW 2750, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Sydney City Centre

Gadigal Country

level 7/10 Barrack Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Family Relationship Centre

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Centre Info

Outreach Locations

If the above locations don’t suit you, we also have the following outreach centres. However, to visit an Outreach Location you will need to make an appointment as these do not always have staff in attendance.

Cowra

Wiradjuri Country

Brisbane Street, Cowra Cowra, NSW 2794, Australia

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Outreach Info

Forbes

Wiradjuri Country

Relationships Australia Forbes, 7 Harold Street, Forbes NSW 2871, Australia

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Outreach Info

Katoomba

Darug & Gundungurra Country

4 Station Street, Katoomba NSW 2780, Australia

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Outreach Info

Lithgow

Darug and Wiradjuri Country

43 Main Street, Lithgow Lithgow, NSW 2790, Australia

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Outreach Info

Orange

Wiradjuri Country

108 McLachlan Street, Orange NSW 2800, Australia

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Outreach Info

Enquire now

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FAQs

We’ve decided to separate – what next?

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.

What if the other party does not respond or refuses to participate?

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.

What happens in the first Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) session?

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.

Can I bring a support person (such as a lawyer, relative, or new partner) with me to mediation sessions?

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.

My ex-partner was abusive – how can you help in this situation?

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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