Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution

Every child’s needs are unique and every family’s best outcome will be different.

 Beginnings Institute focuses all family mediation conversations regarding parenting arrangements and property settlement on the best interests of the children.

The benefits of facilitated mediation. 

Determine your own outcomes.

• Facilitated mediation is a structured conversation process designed to ensure the parties are directly and completely in control of determining the decisions that will affect them and their children now and into the future.

Speed up the process.

• The process of separating and divorcing can be emotionally and physically draining on parents and children, particularly if the time drifts into months or even years. Resorting to the Family Law Court for parenting agreements and property settlements regularly takes 12-18 months.
• Undertaking facilitated mediation enables outcomes and agreements within 3-4 weeks.

Fewer fees.

• Undertaking facilitated mediation early on in the process of making parenting and property arrangements can save tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs and related fees.

Supportive, impartial & confidential.

• Throughout facilitated mediation, the mediator must remain neutral and impartial and may not advocate for any one position or party.
• When facilitating Parenting Arrangements, the mediator must ensure that all discussions are centred around the best interests of the children.
• An experienced mediator will always ensure the safety of each party, the best support connections outside the mediation and will use their skills and experience to ensure the ongoing safety and support for each party.
• The process of facilitated mediation with a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner will be held confidential so the notes and conversations cannot be shared with a judge or used in court at a later date (except in special circumstances to protect a person or property).

Let us help you with your new beginnings

Fee Responsibility and Liability

Each party will be liable to the mediator for the mediator’s fees as described above. The parties will each be responsible for their own fees, unless otherwise agreed. The parties agree to pay fees on receipt of invoice. Payment can be made by direct bank transfer.

Some mediation cases take more than one session to resolve all issues relating to a parenting plan or financial settlement. The number of sessions is dependent on the complexity of the issues and the ability for each party to collaborate and negotiate with the support of the family dispute resolution practitioners.

A 100% upfront payment prior to all intake and joint mediations sessions is required. An invoice will be issued to each client prior to the mediation and only once payment is received, will the mediation date and appointment be confirmed. This can be paid by direct deposit, credit or debit card. Accepted cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express.

Please note that if an appointment is cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to the appointment (or by Friday 12 pm in the case of Monday appointments), a full cancellation fee is payable by the party/s. In the case of more than 2 weeks notice then a 50% cancellation fe applies.