What estate disputes can be mediated?
- Contested wills and challenges to a will's validity
- Family provision claims (where someone feels inadequately provided for)
- Disputes between executors and beneficiaries
- Disagreements over the distribution or valuation of estate assets
- Conflicts over the administration of a deceased estate
Why mediate an estate dispute instead of litigating?
Because contesting an estate in court is slow, public, and expensive — and the legal costs often come out of the very estate being fought over, shrinking what's left for everyone. Worse, litigation tends to permanently fracture families already grieving a loss. Mediation resolves the dispute privately, usually in a single session, and gives the family a chance to preserve relationships that a courtroom would destroy.
Many courts now expect mediation first
In estate and family provision matters, courts across Australia frequently require or strongly encourage mediation before a contested hearing. Resolving it early saves the estate — and the family — enormous cost and strain.
How estate mediation works
A neutral, accredited mediator brings the parties together — in person or online, jointly or in separate rooms — to work through the issues and reach agreement. Where a resolution is reached, it can be formalised into a binding settlement. Many of our mediators are also experienced lawyers, so the legal realities of estate law are understood from the outset. See how mediation works →