Commonly Asked Questions

We strongly encourage both parties to seek legal advice and you are free to do so at any stage of the mediation process. If appropriate your mediator may decide to involve your legal representative in the mediation process, known also as Legally Assisted Mediation. If you don't have legal advice please ask your mediator for a referral. 

Yes, you will receive a reminder text 48 hours before each appointment or session.

We will make reasonable attempts to contact your ex-partner to give them an opportunity to engage with the mediation process however, participation is voluntary and requires the consent of both parties. 

If your ex-partner or family member do not want to participate your mediator will decide on the best way forward. This may involve issuing a Section 60I certificate or providing you with other options on how you might be able to move forward.

If you and your ex-partner have been court ordered to attend mediation then it is a legal requirement that both of you engage in the process, making a genuine attempt to reach an agreement before returning to court. 

You've come to the right place. If you're reading this and are wondering what to do now that you and your partner have decided to separate we are here to help guide you. Try our mediation guide or call to find out more about which services is right for you. 

Yes we do. As well as mediation for parenting agreements (known as Family Dispute Resolution) we also offer mediation to help you and your ex-partner reach an outcome about your shared property, finance and assets. Please let us know at the time of booking what type of mediation you require, we can either do one or the other or both. 

Mediation is the broad term used to capture the process of utilising a neutral third party to help reach an agreement outside of court.

Family Dispute Resolution is a specialised form of mediation designed to assist families in resolving disputes around parenting arrangements after separation.  This approach prioritises the best outcome for the child and their future whilst supporting family members to resolve conflict and reach an agreement.

This is hard as depending on the circumstances, there may be several reasons why your child may be resisting time with the other parent. They may feel you will be upset if they spend time with the other parent or maybe they are feeling generally fearful and confused about what the right thing is to do. 

It's important to know there are steps that can be taken to support the child's relationship with both parents.  

We can help you arrange child-inclusive practice during your mediation process whereby a trained child consultant will speak with your child and provide feedback to you and the other parent about what's on their mind without the fear of upsetting either parent. We can also support you and your family with some of our counselling services. 

Please free free to talk to your mediator or our client experience team about how we can support you.

If you've received a letter inviting you to do mediation please contact us to make a free intake appointment.

The mediation will be in relation to a parenting and/or property and finance arrangement with an ex-partner or family member. We appreciate you may have many questions which we will be able to answer these during this appointment.

Unless an exception applies (such as family violence, child abuse or the matter is urgent), any parent or carer that is not in agreement about parenting matters and who wishes to apply to the court for a parenting order, needs to first demonstrate that they've made a genuine effort to reach an agreement through mediation. The Section 60I certificate is issued by a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner to show to the court that a party has attempted to participate in mediation. Not all matters are suitable for mediation and in such cases a 60I certificate may also be issued following  assessment.

Our practitioners (also known as Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) are the only type of mediator able to issue these certificate.

Please note that a 60I certificate is not required for property and financial matters.

Yes we can help. Mediation (known also as Family Dispute Resolution) can help you and the other parent work towards reaching an agreement regarding your children and parenting arrangements. We can also provide you with a 60I Certificate should you need to resolve this via the courts.

You can find more information on our mediation page here or please call us to discuss your needs further.

Generally speaking, it should not take longer than 90 days between your first meeting with us and the completion of the joint mediation session. If your situation is complex and multiple sessions are required, or demand for the service is especially high, the process could take longer subject to practitioner availability.

Please know we strive to complete the process with you as soon as possible.

If you have court orders to attempt mediation you will need to make an appointment with us to commence the mediation process. Most court orders will have a date that you need to have engaged with us by so please don't hesitate in contacting us. We will also need a copy of your court orders at the time of making your appointment.

One of the purposes of mediation is to help separated parents and carers manage their feelings towards each other and focus on the needs of their children. This means that participants will have to explore constructive ways to communicate with each other. The mediator is present to help and encourage you to work with each other directly to reach agreements. In some cases this direct communication may not be productive in which case the mediator may consider several options such as conducting mediation over the phone or online.

In some cases mediation can be conducted with participants in separate rooms. This will be decided by the mediator following discussions with you during your intake assessment and pre-mediation interviews. If you have any fears, hesitation, or concerns about how mediation will take place please discuss them freely with your mediator during your initial appointment. The safety of all participants is our primary concern.

We are a proud not-for-profit that is primarily government funded so we are able to offer our mediation services at a reduced rate when compared to private mediation services.   

The intake, pre-mediation sessions and the first hour of joint mediation do not incur any cost. Costs may be incurred after the 1st hour of the joint session. 

For full details please discuss with your practitioner during your free intake appointment.

See also our Mediation fee schedule below:

 * Does not apply to people who earn under $50,000 / year

We always recommend you obtain legal advice as it will provide you with the legal information relevant to your situation. It is a valuable step to take and will give you a better idea about the possible outcomes and limitations of the decisions you make whilst setting you up with clear expectations before going into mediation.

If you are unsure about where to seek legal advice you can ask your mediator during the intake session.

No, parenting and property/financial mediation are considered separately and are different processes, independent of each other. In most cases these will need to be done one after the other usually with the parenting agreement as the priority.

Please make an appointment to speak with a mediator so they can guide you on the best way forward

A subpoena is a legal request to provide information for a court related matter. In cases where this is requested it is due to a need for further information that either has not or cannot otherwise be provided.

If you are involved in a case going through court and a subpoena has been requested about the visits or change-overs we are under legal obligation to provide documentation about this.

Documenting visits and change-overs taking place in our service is standard practice regardless of whether there is court involvement as it helps to ensure the safety of your child or children.

You can read more about subpoenas and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia here. 

If your family is involved in family law proceedings whilst using the service a Judge may request the appointment of an Independent Children's Lawyer (ICL) to your case. The ICL acts on behalf of the children in your family court matter, providing information for the case proceedings. If an ICL has been involved in your case, the Children's Contact Service coordinator may communicate with the ICL about how visits or changeovers are going. We only provide information based on our observation reports and case notes from the visits or change-overs.  

You can read more information about the ICL's role in family law proceedings here. 

Wait times for the Children's Contact Service are dependent on both availability for supervised visits or change-overs and the time taken to complete the intake and assessment process with each parent/carer.

If you have already made an intake appointment you would have been advised of any wait times. If you have not yet made an appointment please contact us so we can you discuss availability at your local centre. 

The cost of supervised visits are based on an hourly rate. The cost is $50 per hour, Monday - Saturday, and $60 per hour on Sundays. Typically the cost is split evenly between both parents/carers. Supervisied changes-overs are $5 per parent/carer.

Interrelate receives some funding to provide this service so our fees are at a reduced rate. If you have any concerns about the cost of the service please discuss this with your contact worker.

The Children's Contact Services is for families with children where one parent/carer or family member cannot see the child freely or easily due to separation, conflict, safety concerns or other circumstances. To use the service both parents/carers or family members will undertake an intake and an assessment with a contact worker separately. The intake allows us to understand your situation and determine if this service is the best approach for you and your family. If for whatever reason the service is not suitable, Interrelate can provide you with a letter for legal purposes outlining the reason and support you to explore other options that may be more suitable. 

The court order will usually specify that a child should have contact with their parent or significant adult who they are not currently living with using supervised service. In some cases, the court orders will request you contact Interrelate within a certain amount of time of receiving the orders. When you contact us, and have provided a copy of the court orders, an intake and assessment will be scheduled with a contact worker. Both parents will need to have an intake separately. Once both parents/ family members have had their intake, and your situation has been assessed and deemed appropriate, next steps will be taken to arrange supervised visits. 

Supervised visits, or contact visits, are when a child spends time with a parent, carer or family member who they do not live with under the supervision of trained children's contact workers. There will be one to two contact workers there during the visit to assist you to build a healthy relationship in the new environment and support you to work towards self-managed time together. As part of the supervision, the contact workers will observe and take notes to track progress and keep a diary of the time spent together. 

When using the service workers may document things such as:

• conversation and interactions between parent and child 
• relationship development 
• behaviour towards the child 
• arrivals and farewells 
• engagement in activities/play 
• creating safety for your child 
• setting boundaries and limits 
• meeting your child's needs 
• responses to staff input and intervention (if applicable) 
• gift giving 
• photo taking 
• debriefing with children and parents 
• conversation and body language between parents (if applicable) 

The Children's Contact Centre rooms have resources, toys, and equipment to help facilitate interactions which can help children build relationships.  Some centers have kitchen facilities for the preparation of lunch and dinner. Please check during intake for a full list of amenities available. 

We want you and your family to have the best chance to strengthen your relationships and spend time together. How often visits take place will depend on your unique situation and needs for the service, as well as our availability to host the visit. Due to the large number of families who use our service we may not be able to immediately accommodate the exact number or frequency of visits desired or as outlined in the court orders but will aim to find a schedule that works for all people involved. 

Yes, we often encourage the attendance of extra visitors especially those who would normally have contact with the child if supervision was not required.

The attendance of extra visitors will need to be pre-arranged with your contact worker prior to attending the visit so they can complete an intake appointment with us prior to the visit.

Usually it is the responsibility of the visiting parent to provide what is needed for the visit with their child such as food, drink, nappies and sunblock. We provide some toys and activities for the parent and child to engage with however the visiting parent is also welcome to bring along anything they would like to share or do with their child. Details on any allergies should also be provided to us in writing so the we can help  mitigate the risk of exposure for your child. If the visiting parent has not had much contact with the child it can be helpful for the parent the child lives with to provide a list of foods the child enjoys, nappy size etc., to help your child feel as comfortable as possible during the visit. If you have any questions or concerns about this please discuss with your contact worker.

We don't want our fees to be a barrier to you receiving care via our service so we aim to keep our fees as low as possible. Sessions are typically charged at the hourly rate of $90 or $50 concession. If you have any concerns about the fees please feel free to discuss this with us.

Medicare rebates are only available to people accessing a psychological service or allied health service. As counselling does not fall under either of these rebates are not available. We do aim to keep our services as affordable as possible and have concessions in place to support this so if you have any concerns regarding fees please feel free to discuss this with us.

Yes, you will sent a SMS reminder 48 hours before your appointment.

All our counsellors take a person-centred approach so you are given a non-judgemental space in which to discuss your thoughts and feelings along with a range of other recognised counselling approaches to ensue the best outcome for your unique situation.

Our counsellors are there to listen with empathy providing guidance so you can identify the right solutions for you. 

There is no set amount of sessions as each situation is different. Your counsellor will discuss how many sessions might be suitable for you to help you reach your goals but it could take a few sessions before you start to see changes, it's important you are patient with yourself and the process.

No, our counsellors are not able to provide clients with a diagnosis however they can support you with challenges you may be experiencing pre, post and during diagnosis. If you are wanting a diagnosis or require more information about this please contact our online psychological counselling service - I relate. Health.

Counselling is a personal journey and feeling better is very dependent on individual circumstances. Typically people will begin to experience improvement as they work through their concerns and are able to make changes within themselves and in their interactions with others. Your counsellor will work closely with you to ensure that you are supported at all times.

Often the time between sessions is a great opportunity to put into practice the work you have been doing with your counsellor. You can speak with your counsellor about possible homework and practical ideas to help you to apply what you have been working on together. It can also be a good chance to focus on your needs a little more whether that means introducing more self-care and wellbeing into your day or taking more time out for yourself.

As per the Family Law Act (1975) your personal counselling information is confidential between you and the counsellor and cannot be used without consent. Exceptions apply where there is a risk of harm, threats to life or property. Subpoenas should not be issued for counselling notes as this private information is inadmissible in the Family Law Courts. Please feel free to raise this with your counsellor if you have any further questions about how your information could be used.

Counselling can be a confronting process and it's important each individual has the option to choose if they would like to attend or not. If you've decided you would like to work on your relationship through counselling but your partner is not ready we recommend you book an initial appointment for yourself to discuss options to help you get to where you want to be.

Not every relationship lasts forever and finding the right way to end things can sometimes be challenging. If you and your partner have decided to end your relationship our experienced relationship counsellors can support you to do this respectfully.

Trust is important to build and maintain in the relationship and can be a goal you both work towards in counselling.

Counselling is a very personal process and each person will take different amounts of time to see change and growth. It's important you are patient with yourself and your partner as you learn to enhance your connection and commitment to one another over time.

As per the Family Law Act (1975) your personal counselling information is confidential between you and the counsellor and cannot be used without consent. Exceptions apply where there is a risk of harm, threats to life or property. Subpoenas should not be issued for counselling notes as this private information is inadmissible in the Family Law Courts. Please feel free to raise this with your counsellor if you have any further questions about how your information could be used.

Situations involving an AVO are reviewed on a case by case basis as your safety is our priority. Please call our client experience team to make an appointment with one of our counsellors so we can discuss your situation and help you navigate the best way forward. 

In circumstances where there is an AVO, a history of family and domestic violence or concerns about engaging in counselling with the other person we will require you book an individual session with us first.

Yes, your counsellor can provide a letter outlining your attendance at counselling.

Counselling is a voluntary process so if you're wanting to pursue counselling for you and your family start by having a conversation with them to let them know you want to improve your relationship together. It can be a good way to gauge their interest to see if they're willing to participate. Alternatively, you can book an appointment for yourself to discuss your situation with a counsellor before involving other family members.

Counselling is a very personal process and each person will take different amounts of time to see positive change. There is no set timeline for reaching the place you want to be. Your counsellor will continue to check in with you and your family throughout the sessions to make sure you are all on track for reaching your shared goals.

As per the Family Law Act (1975) your personal counselling information is confidential between you and the counsellor and cannot be used without consent. Exceptions apply where there is a risk of harm, threats to life or property. Subpoenas should not be issued for counselling notes as this private information is inadmissible in the Family Law Courts. Please feel free to raise this with your counsellor if you have any further questions about how your information could be used.

Situations involving an AVO are reviewed on a case by case basis as your safety is our priority. Please call our client experience team to make an appointment with one of our counsellors so we discuss your situation and help you navigate the best way forward. 

In circumstances where there is an AVO, a history of family and domestic violence or concerns about engaging in counselling with the other person we will require you book an individual session with us first.

Yes you certainly can and we offer online and phone options as well as in-person so you can join from anywhere in Australia. 

Yes we can. If you're parents are separating we can assist you to process your thoughts and feelings to help you cope better with the changes in your family during this time.

If you are over 14 you do not need a parent to attend with you. In your first session your counsellor will work with you to ensure this is the best option for you.

We will meet with you first to discuss what is happening for your child and provide options that best suit your family need before booking your child in for counselling. Your child doesn’t attend this appointment.

Child safety is our highest priority across all of Interrelate's services. Through our education programs we ensure children are supported to recognise the early signs of unsafe behaviour and build their confidence to speak up when something doesn't feel right.

Yes, consent is an important mandatory theme throughout all of our relationships and sexuality education programs.

Consent is addressed at age-appropriate levels for years 3 - 6, introducing students to concepts about safety, respect and communication. Themes of consent are also woven throughout our online and in-person programs including discussions and workbook activities.

Our program content is aligned with state curriculums and satisfies the relevant syllabus outcomes for teaching students the principles and behaviours that define consent. If you would like more information around this you can contact us directly at schoolservices@interrelate.org.au.

It's common for parents and carers of young people to worry that giving their child information about sex will lead them to become sexually active earlier. We can assure you that early education about relationships and sexuality encourages children to make more informed decisions when it comes to their relationships and sexual health and educates them about the risks involved, giving them lifelong skills about consent and respect.

Supported by research, our evidence-based programs are aligned with positions held by the World Health Organisation and United Nations that appropriate sexual health information should be available to children and young people as a lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health can leave children vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy.

If you have any questions or concerns about the content, we encourage you to reach out direct or discuss with your school the option of hosting a family evening session (Tricky Talks) with our educators where you can learn about our educational programs and voice any questions or concerns freely.

Our approach is to provide children with an introductory understanding of anatomy and the reproductive system including sex and birth. Your child will receive this information at an age-appropriate level with the focus kept on understanding their bodies and the roles they play in reproduction and development, learning the basic principles of consent and boundary setting along the way. The information is presented by the educator and at times supported by animated videos and images of basic anatomy.

No we do not encourage children to have sex. Our relationships and sexuality education programs are centered on the principles of consent and respect and provide them the biological facts of puberty, intercourse, pregnancy and birth.

Our educators facilitate informed discussions about decision-making, consent, respect and safety in relationships including safe and unsafe behaviours, actions and consequences. As a child safe organisation our mission is to deliver evidence-based information to support children entering into puberty helping them to develop confidence and boundaries to keep themselves safe.

Research has shown that early education of relationships and sexuality is linked to positive and healthy behaviour in relationships later in life. By educating children early in life around respectful behaviours and providing consistent opportunities for them to develop a healthy self-esteem and sense of identity, we are empowering the next generation to lead the way when it comes to forming and maintaining respectful relationships.

Our programs are delivered at an age-appropriate level, introducing new levels of understanding about their body's development and forming new relationships as they grow.

Yes, all of our programs have a program logic framework developed around syllabus outcomes and evidence-based research. We partner with external bodies including universities and peak bodies, to undertake rigorous evaluations of our programs, and are proudly endorsed by the ESafety Commissioner to deliver education to school-aged children.

Yes, all our programs have a program logic framework developed around syllabus outcomes and evidence-based research. We partner with external bodies including universities and peak bodies to undertake rigorous evaluations of our programs and are proudly endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner to deliver education to school-aged children.

Yes, we are flexible in our program delivery and will do our best to accommodate your student's needs. If you have questions about selecting the right program for your school group, please reach out so we can discuss your specific needs at schoolservices@interrelate.org.au

We take a whole of community approach when it comes to the education of young people as it helps to reinforce their learning and positive behaviour development. We also believe it is important that parents and teachers also receive the same information to encourage conversation and shared learning opportunities. This approach is recognised by the Health Promoting Schools model developed by the World Health Organisation which indicates that a collective approach to a child's education can improve learning outcomes around health and relationships.

Our educators are highly experienced and passionate about educating young people. We require all our educators to have:

• A degree or tertiary qualification in Education/ Social Sciences
• Experience in classroom management and working with children
• Experience in program development, implementation and review
• Experience in group work and facilitation
• Experience in communicating sensitive/personal issues to children, students and adults
• Working with Children’s Check and Australian National Police Check

Our programs are delivered by age group not by gender as we believe this is a more accurate reflection of real life interactions and encourages mutual respect and understanding amongst peers.

We are intentional about using inclusive language, images and messaging around gender diversity. Our relationships and sexuality programs respectfully include examples about body and gender diversity that reflect the diverse communities we live and work with.

Child safety is our highest priority across all Interrelate services. Through our education programs we ensure children are supported to recognise the early signs of unsafe behaviour and build their confidence to speak up when something doesn't feel right.

Consent is an important theme throughout all our programs and addressed at age-appropriate levels for years 3 - 6, introducing students to concepts about safety, respect and communication. Themes of consent are also woven throughout our online and in-person programs including discussions and workbook activities. Our program content is aligned with state curriculums and satisfies the relevant syllabus outcomes for teaching students the principles and behaviours that define consent.  If you would like more information around this you can contact us directly at schoolservices@interrelate.org.au

 As a non-for-profit and charitable organisation the delivery of our relationships and sexuality programs is an integral part of our mission to support greater awareness and action around creating respectful relationships. There is no Government funding to deliver our programs which is why we rely on fees to deliver them. Please be aware that we keep our fees as low as possible so that more young Australians have access to these valuable education programs. 

Please reach out to discuss this with us as it may be possible to arrange sharing costs with another school. This has been very successful in regional areas where small schools have joined forces to participate in a program together either online or at one of the school in-person.

Generally applications take approximately 6 - 12 months to be processed by the National Redress Scheme. You can access counselling support through our service during this time.