Family law & mediation

Family Lawyers by City

Find local family law context and mediation services for every major Australian city. We've helped thousands of families resolve property and parenting matters without court — in 1 day, not years.

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In short: Mediations Australia is a nationally accredited mediation service — not a law firm. We work alongside family lawyers and help separating couples resolve property settlement, parenting arrangements and other disputes without going to court. Our city guides explain the local court context and how mediation fits in.

How we work with family lawyers

Many clients come to us on the recommendation of their family lawyer — because a good family lawyer knows that mediation often produces better outcomes, faster and for less cost, than contested litigation. We're not a replacement for legal advice: we strongly recommend every client obtain independent legal advice before formalising any agreement. What we provide is a structured, expert facilitation process that helps both parties reach an agreement they can live with.

Once an agreement is reached in mediation, your lawyer can formalise it as consent orders or a binding financial agreement — giving it the same legal force as a court order, without the wait, the cost, or the public record.

Family mediation services across Australia

We offer online mediation to clients anywhere in Australia, and in-person sessions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Every city guide below explains the local family court context, typical waiting times, and what mediation can realistically achieve for families in that region.

Jump to: New South Wales · Victoria · Queensland · Western Australia · South Australia · Australian Capital Territory · Tasmania · Northern Territory

New South Wales

SydneyNSWOne of Australia's busiest family law jurisdictions. Mediation avoids the Parramatta and Sydney registry backlogs.See Sydney guide → PenrithNSWGreater Western Sydney's busiest growth corridor. The Parramatta registry is under significant pressure.See Penrith guide → NewcastleNSWHunter Valley families use mediation to resolve matters without the delays of the Newcastle registry.See Newcastle guide → WollongongNSWIllawarra clients resolve property and parenting matters through mediation, avoiding travel to Sydney courts.See Wollongong guide → Central CoastNSWLarge population of Sydney relocatees with significant property assets. Both Sydney and Newcastle registries apply.See Central Coast guide → CampbelltownNSWSouth-West Sydney's fast-growing population is placing real pressure on the Parramatta registry.See Campbelltown guide →

Victoria

MelbourneVICMajor registry with long waiting lists for contested matters. Mediation resolves most cases in a single day.See Melbourne guide → GeelongVICVictoria's second city. Mediation resolves matters in a single day — no need to travel to Melbourne.See Geelong guide → BallaratVICFarming properties and multi-generational assets make Ballarat matters well suited to mediation.See Ballarat guide → BendigoVICRegional Victoria's major inland centre. Mediation avoids costly and time-consuming Melbourne court listings.See Bendigo guide →

Queensland

BrisbaneQLDRapidly growing city with rising family law caseloads. Mediation offers a faster, local alternative to court.See Brisbane guide → Gold CoastQLDQueensland's second city. Brisbane registry handles Gold Coast matters — mediation avoids the wait.See Gold Coast guide → IpswichQLDOne of Queensland's fastest-growing cities. Mediation resolves matters the Brisbane registry takes years to hear.See Ipswich guide → ToowoombaQLDRegional Queensland's largest inland city. Circuit court sittings are infrequent — online mediation is ideal.See Toowoomba guide → TownsvilleQLDNorth Queensland families use online mediation to resolve disputes without travelling to Brisbane courts.See Townsville guide → RockhamptonQLDCentral Queensland's main regional centre. Circuit court waiting times make early mediation especially valuable.See Rockhampton guide →

Western Australia

PerthWAWA operates its own family court system. Our mediators are experienced in WA-specific family law procedures.See Perth guide → MandurahWAPeel Region families — many with FIFO arrangements — benefit from WA-aware mediation services.See Mandurah guide →

South Australia

AdelaideSASouth Australian families increasingly choose mediation over the Adelaide registry's contested matter wait times.See Adelaide guide → Adelaide (SA)SACapital city guide focused on South Australian family law, mediation costs and the Adelaide registry.See Adelaide (SA) guide →

Australian Capital Territory

CanberraACTPublic servants, defence personnel and high-asset families benefit from the confidentiality mediation provides.See Canberra guide →

Tasmania

HobartTASTasmania's close-knit community makes mediation's confidentiality especially important.See Hobart guide → LauncestonTASNorthern Tasmania's main city. Farming and business assets make confidential mediation the sensible first step.See Launceston guide →

Northern Territory

DarwinNTHighly transient population with defence and mining families. Online mediation avoids circuit court delays entirely.See Darwin guide →

Why choose mediation over a contested court matter?

	Mediation	Contested litigation
Time to resolution	1 day	1–3 years
Typical total cost (per party)	$1,500–$4,000	$30,000–$150,000+
Who decides the outcome	You	A judge
Confidential	Yes — protected by law	No — public record
Preserves co-parenting relationship	Collaborative by design	Adversarial by design

What we can help you resolve

Property settlement — division of assets, superannuation splitting, the family home
Parenting arrangements — living arrangements, time with each parent, decision-making
Spousal maintenance — interim and ongoing financial support
Section 60I certificates — required before filing parenting orders in court
Binding financial agreements — formalised with your lawyer after agreement is reached
Separation agreements — practical arrangements for separating couples not yet divorcing

Questions & answers

Family mediation FAQs

Do I need a family lawyer to use Mediations Australia?+

No. You can come to mediation without a lawyer, though we always recommend you obtain independent legal advice before formalising any agreement. Many clients consult a lawyer before or after the mediation session rather than throughout the process.

Is mediation available in my city?+

Yes. We offer online mediation to clients anywhere in Australia, and in-person sessions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The city guides on this page cover the local court context for each region.

How much does family mediation cost compared to going to court?+

Mediation typically costs $3,000-$8,000 total, shared between the parties. A contested family law matter through court commonly costs each party $30,000-$150,000 or more, and takes one to three years to resolve.

What types of family law matters can be mediated?+

Property settlement, parenting arrangements, spousal maintenance, superannuation splitting, estate disputes, and separation agreements can all be resolved through mediation. We also provide section 60I certificates required before filing parenting matters in court.

What is a section 60I certificate and do I need one?+

A section 60I certificate confirms that you have attempted family dispute resolution before filing parenting orders in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. Mediations Australia is a registered FDR provider and can issue these certificates where attendance requirements are met.

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