In each of the past two years 105 couples have participated in mediation. The Family Mediation Services of the Marriage Guidance Councils of South Australia, Queensland and West Australia began operations more recently, either during 1989 or 1990. Although some of these agencies have been seeing clients, others have had to concentrate on training potential mediators. Over 48 sessional mediators with professional and community backgrounds participate in the Family Mediation Centre program. Mediation services are designed to assist separating or divorcing couples settle issues associated with child custody and access, living arrangements, property distribution and spouse and child maintenance.
Mediators are men and women with family law or family and relationship counselling experience.
All centres offer sessions during evenings and, in many cases, at weekends. In addition to funding from the Attorney- General's Department, the South Australian Legal Services Commission funds mediation for referred clients, and the Legal Aid Commissions of Victoria and New South Wales finance mediation for couples involved in maintenance disputes. Training for mediators takes several forms. In addition to knowledge of the mediation process and relevant skills in counselling, conflict resolution and communication, training usually includes sessions on family law and court practices, family dynamics and human development. The TAFE college in New South Wales provides initial training for Community Justice Centre mediators, a course in conflict resolution has been established at Macquarie University, and Bond University Law School has a Centre for Dispute Resolution.