A plain-English guide to Family Dispute Resolution for separated parents in Australia. How it works, what the law requires, and why most parents find this route better than court.
Written to be read in one sitting, and to answer the questions people usually save up for the first phone call.
Why this guide exists, and the one thing to take from it before you call.
Seven situations FDR suits, and where a different pathway is recommended.
Initial contact, individual intake, the mediation session, and agreement or next steps.
Why FDR comes before court, what a section 60I certificate is, and the 2024 changes.
Control, calm, confidentiality, cost and less ongoing conflict.
The nine services across family, workplace and later life.
A refusing ex, confidentiality, certificates, cost and lawyers.
In person or online, and why online is a genuine option.
How to book, and what happens on that first call.
Family Dispute Resolution is for any separated or separating parents who need to agree on arrangements for their children, whether you were married or in a de facto relationship, and however long ago you separated. The guide is for you if any of these sound familiar.
Want the service itself rather than the guide? See our Family Dispute Resolution service.
Fay is a Director of Alternative Mediations and an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She runs sessions in English, Dari, Farsi, Tajiki and Hazaragi, online anywhere in Australia or at the practice's rooms in Canberra. She wrote this guide so that the first phone call feels less daunting.
“You are sitting down, with the right support, to work out practical arrangements for your children with someone whose only job is to help both parents be heard and reach something workable.” From Finding Your Way Forward
FDR still moves you forward either way. If the other parent refuses to attend, or attends but does not engage genuinely, a certificate reflecting that can still be issued, and you retain the ability to proceed to court if needed.
What you say during your FDR sessions is generally confidential and protected from being used as evidence in later court proceedings, with limited exceptions where the law requires disclosure, such as a genuine safety concern about a child. The certificate itself is filed with the court and does not describe what was said or agreed in your sessions.
This depends on your circumstances, including how many sessions are needed and how complex the arrangements are. Fees apply for FDR services, and we talk you through them when you first get in touch, so you know where you stand before you decide anything.
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You do not need to read the guide first. Call us for a confidential conversation about your situation, with no pressure and no obligation.