Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

For Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners

All individuals wanting to apply to a court for a parenting order must first attend family dispute resolution, and obtain a certificate from an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner confirming that an attempt at family dispute resolution was made. This requirement applies to all applications, including those seeking changes to an existing parenting order. There are some exceptions to this requirement, such as cases involving family violence, child abuse or urgency.

An accredited family dispute resolution practitioner is a person who meets specific standards contained in the Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners Regulations) 2008.

For more information on how to become a family dispute resolution practitioner see:

Obligations

Family dispute resolution practitioners have certain obligations including in relation to the provision of information and confidentiality.

For more information on family dispute resolution practitioners' obligations, see:

Screening and Assessment

Family law regulations require family dispute resolution practitioners to be satisfied that a thorough assessment has been made to determine if family dispute resolution is appropriate for clients before family dispute resolution starts.

The Australian Government Attorney-General's Department commissioned the development of a Screening and Assessment Framework to provide guidance to staff in Family Relationship Centres who carry out these assessments. This Framework may be useful for family dispute resolution practitioners in other settings.