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Family Mediation and Dispute Resolution Tasmania
At Positive Solutions, our Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners can assist you by providing helpful information, resources and facilitated negotiation. This may relate to parenting, grand parenting, property and financial matters.
We can assist you and your family to cope with the upheaval of separation and divorce. This includes decisions for post-separation parenting and/or property division. Our child centred service keeps children’s best interests at the core of all negotiations.
Post Separation Counselling
What services are available?
Our experienced counsellors are able to provide you with support through your separation. This support may be about hurt feelings, problems between you and your partner or another person in the family, new living arrangements and issues relating to the care of your children and financial adjustments.
Our experienced Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners are able to assist you and your partner in parenting and/or property matters. This service is known as family mediation and is a requirement for parenting under the Family Law Act.
Property Mediation
What happens in dispute resolution for property?
After the initial individual session(s), your FDRP will guide you through a structured discussion to determine the property pool including:
- Establishing agreed values of all assets
- Identifying debts and liabilities and who has responsibility for them
- Calculating net worth
- Considering non-financial and financial contributions
- Ascertaining future needs
Once the relevant factors have been identified, your FDRP will facilitate a negotiation based on your options and proposals, enabling you to compare and test these against your financial situation.
Property settlement agreements are not legal documents but can be used as the basis for legally binding orders such as Consent Orders or a Binding Financial Agreement which is a discrete and separate step.
Parenting Mediation
What is discussed in family dispute resolution or parenting mediation?
- How to support children through separation
- Parental communication
- Time arrangements including school term, holidays and special days
- School related issues
- Contact with extended family members and significant others
- Decision making
- Financial concerns
- Managing future conflicts
- Blending families
- Special needs
What is a parenting plan?
If you are able to reach agreement about parenting matters, your FDRP will draft a parenting plan which records agreements about time arrangements, how you will communicate and make decisions, education related topics, managing costs related to children, travel, emergencies and any other areas that are relevant to your family. A parenting plan is not legally binding but will be given consideration by the court if signed and dated.
Child Inclusive Mediation
What is the CIP process?
1. Where there is agreement from both parents to proceed, individual sessions are booked with the Child Inclusive Practitioner where they discuss the children and their current situation and explain how they will work with the children in the session.
2. The children attend an individual session(s).
3. The Child Inclusive Practitioner provides feedback to the parents and the FDRP about the children’s session.
4. The information and insights from this session can assist parents in decision-making in their FDR appointment.
What happens in my children’s session?
Child Inclusive Practice provides an opportunity for children to share their stories through therapeutic play and guided talk with a Child Inclusive Practitioner in a safe and supportive environment. At your individual session, the Child Inclusive Practitioner will discuss the tools and techniques they may use to scaffold the session.
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP)
FDRPs have qualifications in social sciences, conflict management and law. They are accredited and registered with the Attorney Generals Department.
FDRPs assist you to identify your needs and concerns, explore and develop options and proposals, and guide your discussions towards future focussed decision making.
When Should I Access the Services?
If you are thinking of separating or have made a decision to separate, you can Book An Appointment with an FDRP who will assist you with information and resources.
If you’re seeking Consent Orders regarding your children, FDR is a mandatory (with some exceptions) first step.
What Happens In The Mediation Process?
- Intake: You will attend a confidential individual intake session with the FDRP who will discuss your needs and concerns, gather relevant details into the history of the issues. They will also talk to you about your children and discuss the next steps.
- Pre-mediation: You will attend a further individual session to assist you to define your agenda and to help you to prepare to participate in the joint session.
- Dispute Resolution or mediation: Both parties attend a joint* session where they identify the issues in dispute, develop options and proposals and work towards reaching an agreement. Subsequent sessions may be required to address the issues. *The option of Shuttle mediation- or mediation in separate spaces- can be discussed with your practitioner.
- Agreement signing: Where FDR results in an agreement your FDRP will draft a parenting plan or property agreement which you are invited to sign and date.
- If the FDR process is unable to proceed your FDRP will issue you with a 60I certificate.
What Will It Cost?
Your first individual session is free. Positive Solutions receives funding to provide FDR services and our costs are calculated in relation to your income. Please contact us for more information.
This activity received grant funding from the Australian Government.
How Do I Attend?
Positive Solutions has offices across Tasmania and appointments are available face to face, via phone or online.
Get In Touch Today.
To make an appointment or to obtain further information on any of our services during business hours please call or email.
Call: (03) 6223 5612
Email: [email protected]
Positive Solutions has offices located in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.
Hobart Office: 165 Davey Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Launceston Office: 76 York Street, Launceston TAS 7250