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At your Intake Session, we will provide you a folder of information and resources specific to your circumstances and situation. It will also have included a copy of a joint agreement to mediate. You will need to agree and sign this agreement before we proceed to mediation. We will also provide you a compiled list of the issues discussed in your Intake Session and the possible solutions that you have generated and considered and possible solutions that you may not have considered. Your ‘homework’ will be in writing for you to take away and think about. It will also prompt you to get legal or any other form of advice if you need, prior to your mediation. We will also provide you a list of topics that you may not have considered to include in your Parenting Agreement. We consider time, time to think and plan, to ponder and consider aspects regarding the wellbeing of everyone concerned – extremely valuable.

Before the day of your mediation it is important that you have given yourself time to think and inform yourself about what you want to discuss as well as the outcomes that you are hoping to achieve. If your mediation is about your child/children, you may want to attend a program that will familiarise you and develop your understanding of a Parenting Agreement prior to your mediation. If your mediation is about a financial and property division, it is a good idea to obtain legal advice as well as advice from an independent accountant and/or financial planner so that you fully understand the law, your financial position and any tax-related consequences that could impact on your agreement. You might need to borrow funds to pay out a joint debt or to enable you to keep an asset such as a house or a motor vehicle, in which case you may need to obtain a pre-approval for a loan from a financial institution.

There can be an overwhelming list of things to address. The Centre for Mediation aims to create an environment where you explore the identified issues and concerns and work them out respectfully. If you are in the trenches, we will encourage you to come out, to tie up loose ends and finalise your separation because at the heart of mediation is the aim to establish certainty about your future after your separation. There is no ‘black box’ with a one size fits all approach — rather we will assist you to arrive at your own authentic answers and solutions.

It is our firm belief that when we experience a crisis, it means it is time for a change, a time to create new directions in life. Your preparation in how you wish to conduct yourself in the environment we facilitate, is important and it can be a life-changing pivotal moment for you. All we ask is that you take this opportunity in your life to prepare for the mediation, that you attend with a self-determination to reach an agreement and in turn, we pledge to stay with you every step of the way, assisting and helping you reach an agreement you can live with.

It is also an opportunity for our Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner to explain their role to you and the mediation process in detail. Equally, it is an opportunity to provide you various resources that could be useful and applicable in your situation. Resources aimed to support and inform you at this time in your life. 

This will also be the time to discuss the various models of Family Dispute Resolution that we offer and the process for each of them. We want you to find the right forum for you to feel safe and supported so that you can make decisions for the future of everyone concerned. 

The Centre for Mediation will also encourage you to prepare for your mediation to ensure you arrive at the best possible agreement in your mediation. We will determine with you the preparation you will need to make before your mediation. If, for example, your child/children require extra support at this time either academically or psychologically, you may need to provide information in relation to the costs you wish to share with the other party and if agreed, include in your Parenting Agreement. Or if, for example, your mediation relates to a financial and property division, you may require market appraisals or valuations of your assets such as your house or your motor vehicle to help you gauge the value of your assets before your mediation begins.

After we have had the opportunity to meet with you and the other party in the Intake Session, we will carefully consider and determine if the mediation process would be suitable. Please click here to read more about Suitability.