Court is not the only option. For most families navigating separation, it is not the best option either.
At Village Family Lawyers, our mediation support is built on something most firms cannot offer: two lawyers who are Nationally Accredited Mediators.
Family law litigation is expensive, slow, and adversarial. A contested court matter can take years. The outcome is decided by a judge who will hear your matter for only a fraction of the time it takes to get there.
Mediation is private, structured, and focused on reaching a workable agreement that both parties have a genuine say in. For families with children, it also models the cooperative communication that co-parenting will require long after the legal matter is over.
Most family lawyers support clients through mediation without formal training in how the process actually works.
Lauren Wilson and Maria Stipic both trained and previously qualified as Nationally Accredited Mediators under the National Mediator Accreditation System. This reflects formal training and assessed competency in mediation process, dynamics, and practice.
Neither conducts mediation sessions. What their training gives them is an intimate, inside understanding of how mediation works: how sessions are structured, where negotiations typically stall, what preparation produces genuine outcomes, and how to position clients to negotiate effectively under pressure.
Clients supported by lawyers with this level of mediation knowledge are better prepared, better protected, and significantly more likely to reach agreements that genuinely reflect their legal entitlements.
Around 90% of matters we support through mediation resolve without court. That is not a coincidence.
A dedicated 90-minute preparation session at a fixed fee of $880 including GST.
We review your legal position, identify priorities and non-negotiables, develop a negotiation strategy, and prepare you for the dynamics of the session itself. A written letter of advice follows the conference.
Clients who enter mediation prepared consistently reach better outcomes.
We attend mediation with clients as their lawyer, advising throughout the session, ensuring proposals are legally sound, and protecting clients from agreements that do not reflect their entitlements.
Having a lawyer in the room who deeply understands the mediation process, not just the law, makes a material difference to both the experience and the outcome.
Reaching agreement is only the beginning. That agreement must be formalised to be enforceable.
We translate mediated outcomes into consent orders or binding financial agreements: precisely drafted, court-compliant, and protected against future dispute. This step is critical and should never be skipped.
Family Dispute Resolution is a form of mediation required by law before most parenting court applications can be filed. A Section 60I certificate from an accredited practitioner is required. We advise on whether this applies to your matter and guide you through the process, including whether any exemptions apply.
Here is what to expect when you book with Village Family Lawyers in Mount Eliza or Malvern.
Use our online booking form or call 1300 413 997. Choose in person at Mount Eliza or Malvern, or secure phone or video.
A calm, guided conversation in plain English. Your lawyer will listen to your situation and explain your rights and options clearly.
You leave with practical next steps tailored to your situation, protecting your family, your finances, and your future.
Mornington Peninsula and Bayside clients
Melbourne inner east and citywide clients
Discovery Calls are made over the telephone and all other consultations are available via a secure online video call.
All consultations available in person or by phone and secure video. Three ways to connect:
Not sure yet? Book a free 15-minute Discovery Call.
Free
15 min
Initial Consultation
90 min
Pre-mediation conference
90 min
For parenting matters, generally yes. Australian law requires parties to attempt family dispute resolution before filing most parenting applications with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and a section 60I certificate from a registered practitioner is usually required. Exceptions apply, including urgency and safety concerns. For property matters, mediation is strongly encouraged rather than formally required. Village Family Lawyers can advise which obligations apply to your situation.
A pre-mediation conference at Village Family Lawyers is a structured preparation session, approximately 90 minutes, held before you attend mediation. It covers your legal position, your goals, what you should and should not agree to, and the likely range of outcomes. You leave with a written letter of advice to take into the mediation with you. The fee is $880 including GST. You do not need to have engaged us for your whole matter to book one.
If the other party will not attend mediation, your matter can still move forward. For parenting matters, a registered family dispute resolution practitioner can issue a section 60I certificate recording that the other party did not attend, which allows a court application to proceed. For property matters, Village Family Lawyers can continue negotiating directly through correspondence, or advise on the court pathway if it becomes necessary. A refusal to mediate does not leave you stuck.
An agreement reached in mediation is not automatically binding, so the next step is to record it properly. Depending on your matter, that may mean consent orders, a binding financial agreement, or a parenting plan. Village Family Lawyers prepares and files the documents that turn an agreement into something enforceable. This is the step that protects what you have agreed, and it is worth obtaining legal advice before signing anything final.
Yes, in almost all circumstances. Discussions in family dispute resolution are confidential under the Family Law Act, and what is said in mediation generally cannot be used as evidence in court later. Limited exceptions apply, including where there is a risk of harm to a child or a threat to someone’s safety. Village Family Lawyers finds that this confidentiality is one of the practical reasons mediation allows a more open conversation than a courtroom.
No. A mediator is neutral and cannot give legal advice to either person, even where that mediator is also a qualified lawyer. Their role is to help both people reach agreement, not to tell either of them what they should accept. This is why independent legal advice matters alongside mediation. Village Family Lawyers advises clients before and during the process, so you understand your own position while the mediator runs the conversation.
If you want to understand whether mediation can work for your situation, and how to approach it with the best possible preparation, the first step is a conversation.
