How Does Family Mediation Work?

STEP 1

Make sure family mediation is right for your situation

Our Family Mediator will speak with you at a pre-mediation Intake Meeting, which takes one hour and can take place face to face or over the phone. The intake meeting is to ensure that Family Mediation (Family Dispute Resolution) is appropriate and likely to achieve what you are hoping. Most importantly at this Intake Meeting, the Family Mediator will provide you with information to help you prepare for the mediation and will answer any questions you have.

The Intake Meeting is confidential, and information discussed will not be disclosed to the other party.

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STEP 2

Invite the other person to family mediation (if necessary)

After the Intake Session and if your ex-partner has not yet agreed to attend mediation, our Family Mediator will discuss the best way to invite the other person the mediation process. Usually, it is by phone and in writing. Following the law, we will make at least 2 attempts to invite your ex, one of which must be in writing.

If your ex-partner refuses to attend mediation, you can request a Section 60I Certificate from our Family Mediator so that you can commence proceedings in the Family Court for children’s matters.

STEP 3

Intake Meeting with the other person

Once your ex-partner has agreed to attend mediation, our Family Mediator will arrange for an Intake Session to be conducted with them.

STEP 4

Attend Family Mediation

The options for Family Mediation include:

JOINT SESSION

The Family Mediation is commenced in a joint session with both parties and the Family Mediator, with the opportunity to break into separate rooms as required.

BY SHUTTLE

The Family Mediator assists the parties involved to reach an agreement without them being present in the same mediation room.

ON THE TELEPHONE or BY ONLINE VIDEO CONFERENCE

Where parties cannot attend in person, are interstate or in remote areas.

STEP 5

Agreement in Family Mediation

Where agreement is reached (which is in most cases), the Family Mediator will record the agreement and give each party a copy.

To make your property and financial agreement legally binding you can apply to the Court to have your agreement made into a Consent Order or engage a lawyer to draft a Binding Financial Agreement.

In children’s matters, the agreement can be signed as a Parenting Plan or you can have your agreement drafted as Consent Orders which can be lodged with the Family Court [www.familycourt.gov.au].

Where agreement cannot be reached in Parenting matters, the Family Mediator will issue a Section 60I Certificate so that you can commence proceedings in the Family Court.

WHERE

Depending on your needs your family mediation can take place at our rooms, at another location or via video conferencing such as Teams or Skype.

We will discuss your preferences during the intake meeting.

WHEN

Our schedule is flexible to ensure that we can find a time that is mutually convenient to both you and your former partner. We are available during normal business hours, after work hours and on weekends.

We will discuss you availability during our initial call.

WHAT IF MY EX WON’t participate?

If your ex-partner refuses to attend mediation, you can request a Section 60I Certificate from our Family Mediator so that you can commence proceedings in the Family Court for children’s matters.

Get started with a complimentary 15 minute telephone consultation today

Frustrated that you can’t come to an agreement with your ex about parenting matters or property division. Gold Coast Mediation will mediate a final outcome, with documents you can file in Court.

Book a complimentary, 15 minute phone consultation now.

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Family Mediation Process

The Family Mediator opens the mediation and outlines the process for mediation that day, her role and what is expected of the parties.
Both parties are invited to outline the matters that they wish to discuss and get agreement on. Those matters form the agenda for the mediation.
The parties then have an opportunity to thoroughly explore the matters on the agenda for the purpose of coming up with options as to how to resolve the matters. The Family Mediator assists the parties to have constructive conversations about these matters.
The parties are encouraged to put forward a range of options for resolving the matters in dispute. Those options are negotiated with the aim of getting a resolution on all of the matters.

LOCATION

Our mediation rooms are located at Corporate Centre One, 2 Corporate Court, Bundall. Upon request, we can make arrangements for rooms in other locations suitable to both parties.

Get started with a complementary 15 minute telephone consultation today