Here at Relate Mediation

People and relationships are central to everything we do. We understand that people and families are unique, and we pride ourselves on offering a collaborative and personal mediation experience. In this way we support you to navigate and develop a plan for your family’s future.

Family dispute resolution is a specific type of mediation which aims to help people reach agreement about parenting and property matters. For parenting matters, attendance at mediation is a compulsory pre-court procedure. This means you must attend mediation before you can apply to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

We offer mediation services online or in person and have rooms available in various locations across South East and South West, Queensland.

About

Mediation is a structured process that assists people to talk about important issues with the view to reaching a resolution on some or all of the issues in dispute.

The types of issues we can discuss are as unique as the people and families who seek mediation. Some topics that you may like to discuss could include who cares for the children, how this time is shared, or how to divide and distribute assets and liabilities. What you discuss will depend upon what issues are important to you and the other party.

Mediation promotes self-determination. This means it helps people to make their own choices about how issues that affect them will be decided. The ability to make these decisions for yourself plays an important role in a person’s psychological health and wellbeing.

Reaching an agreement on some or all the issues means that you limit the issues that the court must decide on. This can save you time, money, stress and avoids having a Judge make decisions that may affect you.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia says that “court proceedings should be a last resort” and that you should genuinely attempt to resolve your issues without litigation, and mediation is the major tool to help you achieve this. Once you have attended mediation you can get the certificate you need to apply to court. You must have a 60I Certificate to make application to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for matters related to parenting and children.

What is the process?

A mediation process is comprised of the following steps:

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
Intake (30 – 90 min)

Each party has an individual intake session, just one on one, with the mediator.

Here you get to tell your mediator what is important to you.

The person requesting mediation will go first.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
Intake (Other Party)

We invite the other person to attend an intake session of their own.

If they agree, they will attend that prior to mediation.

If they do not agree, you can ask us to issue you a 60I Certificate.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
Mediation (half/full day)

If both parties agree to attending mediation and your mediator has determined that your matter is suitable you will be invited to attend a mediation session.

About Us

At Relate Mediation we are a people and relationship centred mediation practice.

We focus on facilitating mediation so that our clients can be in control of the decisions about their lives.

As a relationship centred practice, you can expect your mediation experience will be personalised, collaborative and will encourage you to re-define, maintain, and develop the relationships that are important to you, particularly where your issues involve children, families/carers, and professionals.

If your matter concerns children, our mediators will support you to consider what is in the child’s best interests, having regard to that child’s age, level of development and other factors.

Our Mediator

Hannah Wordsworth
Principal Mediator

Hi! My name is Hannah Wordsworth. I’m a solicitor and a qualified mediator working in private practice.

I am a people person. I enjoy working with and supporting people to work towards outcomes that suit them. I particularly like working with children and families. It is a privilege to support people through challenging times.

Before I became a solicitor, I spent over a decade supporting children and families across Queensland. This work often involved mediating between people to achieve an outcome that was in the child’s best interest. Because of this I understand that no two families are the same, and I always adapt my approach to each mediation experience.

Conflict is a sign that something is not where you need it to be. Mediation provides you with an opportunity to fix this.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Behavioural Studies
  • Juris Doctor
  • Nationally Accredited Mediator
  • Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
  • Admitted solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
  • Member of Resolution Institute
  • Member of Family Law Pathways Network

Contact Us

Want to know more? Talk to our mediator? Book a free consult here:

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If these times don’t work for you, please complete the enquiry form below and we will contact you.