RESOLVE Sydney

Family Dispute Resolution

Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is the legal term for services that help couples affected by separation and divorce to sort out family disputes. Family Dispute Resolution can help you to agree on a range of issues relating to property, finances, and most importantly – your children.

Resolve Sydney family mediation is

  • ✭ confidential and voluntary;
  • ✭ fast, efficient and cost-effective;
  • ✭ structured but not too formal;
  • ✭ empathic but it is not counselling;
  • ✭ seeks to promote future relationships between parties and their children; and
  • ✭ leads to enforceable agreements

Mediation is less expensive financially and less time consuming.

In Australia more and more separating couples are opting for court alternatives to tailor solutions to their particular family law circumstances. By staying away from the Court couples can remain in control of the process and their future. By resolving issues in FDR the outcomes are flexible and can avoid the duplication (and costs) that litigation brings. FDR fosters positive communication, facilitates the outcomes you seek, and creates solutions that the family can live with after the divorce or family law dispute is over.

There are many factors to consider during a relationship breakdown such as the division of assets and care arrangements for children. Our approach is always to seek workable and realistic solutions to meet the individual requirements of each case. If there are dependent children in the family then it is of prime importance that the children's needs are assessed and met during and after a relationship breakdown.

At Resolve Sydney we appreciate that there are a lot of different reasons as to why relationships breakdown and we can assist anyone going through these difficult times to try and come to a mutually agreeable solution themselves before needing to take the matter before the Courts.

Mediation keeps the children out of Court and spares them the added grief from living through their parents fighting in Court for months - even years.

The Resolve Sydney, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners facilitate parties in maintaining child-focussed communication and low conflict - two key factors in achieving good outcomes for children after family separation. We focus on educating separating parents about how to conduct respectful separations and assist parents to establish sustainable parenting plans and post-separation relationships in order to effectively co-parent their children. The FDR practitioners are neutral and do not give legal advice within the process.

The input of a family dispute resolution practitioner is less likely to produce conflict and more likely to promote consensus.

Family dispute resolution keeps decision making control in the parties hands instead of the Court determining the terms of your separation and family law dispute. Mediation also keeps control over the pace of your family law conflict, rather than putting the scheduling and on-going decisions in the Court through litigation.

Agreements made in family mediation can be formulated to include terms involving care and responsibility of any dependant members of the family and division of property and assets. At the conclusion of mediation if agreement has been reached, agreements are drawn up and may be formally entered with the Court.

Our practitioners are Nationally accredited by The Attorney General’s Department and registered to issue Section 60I Certificates which serve the sole purpose of allowing people to file an application in Court should they not be able to resolve their dispute about their children.

Why choose Resolve Sydney?

There are considerable options available for people seeking professional assisted dispute resolution including government, non-government to private sector agencies and differing models such as FDR and collaborative practice.

Unlike Government and NGO services, Resolve Sydney clients benefit by:

  • ★ limited waiting lists and flexible times without the experience of frustrating waiting lists and rigid consult times

  • ★access to psychologists who are adept at processes involved in identifying conflicts and bringing them to resolution and are skilled to assist parties work through complex feelings

  • ★ a small individualised, specialist, confidential practice with available options to return when parenting plans require age appropriate updates

Telephone Dispute Resolution Services

The telephone mediation service offered at Resolve Sydney provides flexibility to deliver telephone-based mediation.

Telephone-based family dispute resolution service may be available to clients after an initial assessment.

The telephone mediation service may be useful for people who live so far apart it is not possible to meet in person, or have restricted mobility due to disability or other factors.

The telephone-based Dispute Resolution and Mediation Service offered at Resolve Sydney may also be appropriate for people who have concerns about safety. This service provides a safe, secure solution in which the practitioner, in certain situations, can conduct a mediation session by telephone instead of face to face.

In accordance with ethical practice guidelines, FDR Practitioners will not offer other services such as parenting and relationship consultation, child & adolescent therapy or collaborative consultation to any family members that have been involved in a Family Dispute Resolution mediation within this practice.