Category: Mediation

receipe for successful communication in mediation
Mediation

What’s the recipe for successful communication in family mediation?

What’s the recipe for successful communication in family mediation? Ingredients You can’t have successful communication in family mediation without these key ingredients: You might not have the resources to source all the ingredients, but the more you have, the better your outcome will be. Think of it like a fruit cake. If all you have is flour, eggs, butter, and sultanas, it probably won’t taste as good as if you had a larger range of fruit and spices. Successful Communication in family mediation (the ‘Method’) So what do we do with these ingredients to maximise the chance of successful communication […]

online and video mediation
Mediation

Online and video mediation

You may be trying to reach an agreement in a family law matter, and wondering about the options available for resolving the issue. One option that has become increasingly popular in recent times is online and video mediation. Online and video mediation allows parties to participate in mediation remotely, using technology such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This can be a convenient and cost-effective way to resolve disputes, as it eliminates the need for in-person meetings and travel.  Many people have become more familiar with online video technology during the global pandemic when many parents were working from home, and […]

Mediation
Mediation

The Top 4 benefits of Family Mediation

Family Mediation can help families resolve disputes through the assistance of a neutral third party, known as a family mediator. Your mediator helps you reach a mutually acceptable resolution. This process is often used in family law cases because it is usually a more cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to traditional litigation. Additionally, mediation can be a less adversarial and less stressful way to resolve disputes, which can be especially important in the emotionally charged context of family law cases. In this blog post, we explore the Top 4 benefits of family mediation 1. Family Mediation is cost-effective One of the […]

child inclusive family mediation benefits children
Child inclusive mediation, Mediation

Child-inclusive family mediation: the benefits for children

Child-inclusive family mediation is a form of parenting mediation or family dispute resolution that involves children in the conflict resolution process. This can be especially useful in family law cases where children’s well-being and best interests are a primary concern. What benefits does child-inclusive mediation offer for children? Expressing thoughts and feelings Children are often affected by their parents’ conflicts and may have thoughts and feelings about the situation. Child-inclusive family mediation allows children to have a voice in the resolution process and can help them feel heard and understood, whilst also explaining to them that they do not have […]

Do mothers have more rights than fathers in australian family law
Child inclusive mediation, Parenting

Do Mothers have more rights than Fathers in Australia?

Sometimes fathers feel like mothers have more rights than fathers in Australia’s family law system.  But the truth is, unlike some other countries, there is no gender bias in the Family Law Act.  The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia are required to make orders that are in the best interests of children, regardless of the parent’s gender or sexual orientation. What rights do fathers have in Australian family law? Fathers don’t have rights in Australian family law. But nor do mothers.  Yes, you read that right!   The way our family law system is structured, it is children who […]

win win outcome mediation
Mediation

How to get a win-win outcome in Mediation

People often talk about the goal of achieving a win-win outcome in mediation.  But is it really possible and if so, how? Win-win outcomes vs splitting the difference In some mediations, a win-win outcome is seen as splitting the difference.  For example, in a parenting mediation if one party wants the children to spend 7 nights with them every fortnight and the other wants it to be 5 nights, compromising on 6 nights is splitting the difference. In a property mediation, if one party wants $100,000 and the other is offering $200,000, settling on $150,000 is splitting the difference. Why […]

Christmas school holidays
Child inclusive mediation, Mediation, Parenting

Christmas school holidays parenting deadline

The Christmas school holidays can be exciting times for families.  But if you haven’t been able to work out how the kids will spend time with each parent over Christmas, it can also be stressful.  How can I get time with my kids over the Christmas holidays? Each year, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia deal with applications for parenting time.  And each year, they set a deadline of the second Friday in November for an application to be filed for the Christmas school holidays.  If you don’t file by then, you miss the deadline and may not […]

COVID19 Coronavirus co-parenting challenges
COVID 19 Coronavirus, Mediation, Parenting, Parenting Coordination

Co-parenting during COVID19 Coronavirus

Co-parenting can bring its challenges. The current COVID19 Coronavirus sweeping the globe is something that seems unlikely to improve a co-parenting relationship.But we don’t think it necessarily has to be that way. Coronavirus presents challenges for co-parenting Some co-parents are struggling right now. What do you do if one parent has to go into self-isolation? Do you still have changeover between the parents? What if there are immune-compromised grandparents who could be put at risk? If you have parenting orders in place, you must follow them unless you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. There is no definition of ‘reasonable excuse’ – […]