In the last edition of Family Matters, Ilene Wolcott, AIFS Fellow, reported on the role of mediation in parent - adolescent dispute resolution. This article continues that theme and looks at mediation services available to couples involved in divorce disputes in Australia. Until the past decade, the main avenue to resolving the conflicts and consequences of divorce related to property, custody - access and maintenance issues has been the legal system. The adversarial legal system is thought, in many cases, to exacerbate these conflicts.
Mediation is considered an alternative way to resolve disputes and to reduce conflict.
The focus of this discussion will be on mediation in divorce situations where couples are arguing or unable to reach agreement and make decisions about property, maintenance and custody - access issues. These agencies, with the addition of the Family Mediation Centre in Noble Park, Victoria, are all approved marriage counselling agencies under the Attorney-General's Department. The Noble Park Centre, established in 1985, was one of the first mediation programs funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General. It is committed to the community mediation model of intervention and uses trained mediators from a variety of backgrounds in this approach. Legal and financial information sessions are part of the mediation process.