Family & Relationship disputes can strip the parties of the control of their own lives, destroy family relationships and cause emotional and financial devastation.
Family & Relationship Dispute Resolution
Family disputes and breakdown of marriages may be unavoidable but the emotional and financial destruction of the parties is not inevitable.
Families can be assisted stay in control and to resolve their conflict respectfully.
Families that are separating can be supported to make the transition from living in conflict in one home to a functional family living in two homes.
Mediate Today is a specialist dispute resolution agency with extensive experience in resolving all forms of family conflict including those relating to wills & estates and family breakdown.
- Family breakdown touches everyone. It can irreparably destroy the relationship between mother and child, grandfather and grandchild and brother and sister. No single definition will define the modern family which is more and more likely to be a blend of cultures, religions and nationalities. In the global village family conflict may involve parties living on different continents nevertheless in different countries and jurisdictions. At Mediate Today we work with families to assist them to maintain control, reach a resolution of the conflict that, so far as possible, preserves relationships by developing conflict management skills and conserves the financial assets of the family.
- At the first conference we provide the client with information relating to the various processes through which they may resolve their conflict including, mediation, conciliation, lawyer assisted negotiation, collaborative practice and litigation, although we do not act in litigated matters. The client makes the decision about the process they wish to use. Through Mediate Today or Collaborative Lawyers, we will provide the professional services for any of the above options except for litigation, although we will provide the client with a list of lawyers who will litigate their matter if the client wishes to contact them.
- If the client decides to use a process other than litigation, we will also provide them with lists of other professionals and experts who may assist them to reach a holistic resolution of their conflict including, accountants, financial advisors and financial planners, counsellors, programs that may assist families or individual members of the family, valuers, engineers surveyors etc. These professionals are often engaged as single experts to provide the parties with neutral advice or services to assist them to negotiate a fully informed resolution.
Your enquiry should be directed to Lorraine Lopich, Director of Mediate Today Pty Ltd and Collaborative Lawyers Pty Ltd, who will respond within 24 hours of receiving your enquiry if she is not available at the time you make contact. Lorraine will make arrangements for you to promptly have an initial conference at which you will be provided with all of the information about the processes available to you. Lorraine has extensive experience in each of these processes but the first step is to talk with you about your issues and to answer any questions you have about the various processes.
We have an extensive network of dispute resolution practitioners throughout Australia and internationally including Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners (FDRP) registered with the Attorney-Generals Department. Lorraine has conducted in excess of 1000 mediations and she is a registered FDRP who was awarded Distinction in her Vocational Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution. She is a member of the Mediator Standards Board, and has conducted extensive training courses in collaborative practice and alternative dispute resolution. She is also currently leading a sub-committee of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association addressing complex cross-border disputes in conjunction with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Lorraine will either provide the service you require, or allocate one of our qualified FDRPs to assist you.
