Privacy Policy | Alternative Mediations

Alternative Mediations is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, transparently and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and protect it, and your rights in relation to that information. By using our website or engaging our services, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

1. About us

Alternative Mediations is a professional dispute resolution organisation providing mediation and related services across Australia. Our principal office is located at 2/21 Albany Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609. You can contact us at enquiries@alternativemediations.com.au or on 02 7234 9856.

2. What personal information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact and identity information: your name, email address, phone number and postal address
Enquiry and service information: details about your situation, the nature of your dispute and the services you are seeking
Mediation process information: information provided during intake, assessment and mediation sessions, including information about other parties involved
Sensitive information: in some circumstances, we may collect sensitive information such as information about health, family circumstances or financial matters where this is directly relevant to the services we are providing. We will only collect sensitive information with your consent or where otherwise permitted by law.
Website usage information: technical data such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited, collected automatically when you use our website

Where possible, we collect personal information directly from you. We will only collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide our services or to respond to your enquiry.

3. How we collect your information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

When you submit an enquiry through our website contact form
When you contact us by phone, email or in person
During the intake and assessment process for mediation services
During mediation sessions and associated correspondence
From other parties to a dispute, where relevant to providing our services
From third parties such as legal representatives or referral sources, where you have consented or where permitted by law

4. How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to:

Respond to your enquiries and provide information about our services
Assess suitability for, and provide, mediation and related services
Communicate with you about your matter and any appointments or sessions
Prepare and document agreements reached through mediation
Comply with our legal, regulatory and professional obligations
Improve our services and website
Send you relevant information about our services where you have consented to receive it

We will not use your personal information for purposes unrelated to those described above without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

5. Disclosure of personal information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We may disclose your personal information in limited circumstances, including:

To other parties in a mediation: only to the extent necessary to facilitate the mediation process, and in accordance with the confidentiality terms agreed at the commencement of the process
To service providers: third parties who assist us in operating our business, such as IT providers, email platforms or document management services, who are bound by confidentiality obligations
Where required by law: including in response to a court order, subpoena or lawful request from a government or regulatory body
To protect safety: where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to life, health or safety

We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients unless required by law or where you have consented. Some of the providers we use to run this website are based overseas. Our client management system, which stores enquiry and guide-download details, is hosted in the United States, and when you submit a form on this site you consent to your details being stored with that provider. Our advertising and measurement providers, Meta and Google, are also based in the United States and receive the cookie and browsing information described in clause 8, though never the contents of a form. All are bound by their own privacy and security obligations, and you can ask us to correct or delete your details at any time.

6. Confidentiality of mediation

Mediation is a confidential process. Information disclosed during mediation sessions, intake interviews and associated communications is treated as confidential. Our obligations of confidentiality are set out in the Agreement to Mediate signed at the commencement of each mediation. Confidentiality obligations are separate from, and in addition to, the privacy obligations described in this Policy.

7. Storage and security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include secure storage of electronic records, access controls and staff training.

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and to comply with our legal obligations, after which it is securely destroyed or de-identified.

While we take reasonable precautions, no data transmission over the internet or storage system can be guaranteed as completely secure. If you have concerns about the security of information you have provided to us, please contact us.

8. Cookies, analytics and advertising

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for three purposes: to make the site work, to collect anonymous usage data that tells us which pages people find useful, and to measure how well our advertising performs.

Advertising and measurement cookies are set by Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and by Google. They allow those platforms to show you our advertising and to tell us how many enquiries our advertising produced. What they receive includes the address of the pages you visit on this website, and because we use a separate confirmation page for each service, that address can indicate which service you enquired about. They do not receive the contents of any form you complete, including anything you write about your situation.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, and you can opt out of personalised advertising in your Meta and Google account settings. Disabling cookies may affect how parts of this website function. We do not use cookies to collect personal information without your knowledge.

9. Your rights, access and correction

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request that we correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading.

To make an access or correction request, please contact us using the details below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe. In some circumstances, we may decline an access request as permitted by the Privacy Act, if we do, we will explain why.

10. Complaints

If you believe we have handled your personal information in a way that does not comply with this Policy or the Privacy Act, please contact us in the first instance. We take privacy complaints seriously and will respond promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The current version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

12. Contact us

For any questions, requests or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us:

Alternative Mediations
Email: enquiries@alternativemediations.com.au
Phone: 02 7234 9856
Address: 2/21 Albany Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Last updated: September 2026