Information
What you can expect
To be treated with respect
To have your perspectives heard
To have your information be kept confidential
To be clear about what the process is and how it works
To receive, prior to the mediation, a written agenda covering what the other party wants to discuss at mediation
To have the opportunity to put options through to the other party
To obtain a written summary of discussion points and agreements reached from the mediation
Ben will not
Pressure you to agree on something you aren’t comfortable with
Give you legal advice
Tell you what agreements you should make
Allow any parties to experience intimidation or verbal abuse during mediation
Benefits of mediation
Leaves you and the other party as the decision-makers
It is cost effective
It is a brief process without long wait times
It is a collaborative process, you can maintain or improve your relationship with the other party
It can bring a sense of finality to separation and/or disagreements
Mediation can be used again in the future to up-date arrangements when needed
More Information
Agreements will be provided to you in writing and are a shared understanding of decisions made in mediation.
Parenting Plans are voluntary agreements made in mediation that are signed and dated by both the parents of the child.
S60i certificates allow you to make an application to the court, and they inform the court of the broad outcomes of the mediation process. The mediator will pick from one of the following:
The person did not attend FDR due to the refusal or failure of the other person or people to attend
The person did not attend FDR because the practitioner did not consider it would be appropriate to conduct FDR
The people attended FDR, conducted by the practitioner, and all people made a genuine effort to resolve the issue or issues in dispute
The people attended FDR, conducted by the practitioner, but one or more of them did not make a genuine effort to resolve the issue or issues in dispute
The people began FDR, but part way through the practitioner decided it was not appropriate to continue