Preparing for FDR Parenting

A practical online course for parents getting ready for Family Dispute Resolution (FDR). You don’t need a law degree. You need to know what will happen, what to bring, and how to look after yourself on the day.

If you have just been given a date

Separation is hard enough. Then FDR adds a formal process most people have never used, and asks you to stay calm and make big decisions about your children while you’re under strain. That’s a lot.

This course walks you through it before you’re in the room. It’s written in plain language, in short lessons you can fit around a busy week. Nothing here demands a weekend you don’t have.

FDR isn’t court. The practitioner doesn’t decide who is right, make parenting decisions for you, or dictate an outcome. Knowing that early takes some of the fear out of it, and parents who understand the process are better placed to reach agreements that last.

The whole course takes about ten hours, at your own pace. You can work through the modules in order or dip back into one when you need it. We ask for one thing: complete all seven modules at least once before your pre-mediation (intake) session.

What you’ll work through

There’s a short orientation, seven modules, and four appendices.

• Module 1. Understanding Family Dispute Resolution. What FDR is, its legal basis in Australia, who an FDR practitioner is, why people choose it over going straight to court, and how the process runs.
• Module 2. Your Rights, Confidentiality, and the Law. What stays private, where the limits are, and the legal ground you’re standing on.
• Module 3. The Best Interests of Your Child. The best interests factors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, parental responsibility, and what children need at different ages.
• Module 4. Safety, Family Violence, and Protection Orders. Why safety comes first, how screening works, and what to do if you are experiencing family violence.
• Module 5. Preparing for Your Mediation Session. Your issues, positions and interests, documents, opening statement, ground rules, and a checklist for the day.
• Module 6. Self-Development and Resilience for Mediation. Managing stress and triggers, staying steady in the room, recovering afterwards, and building a personal resilience plan.
• Module 7. Agreements, Outcomes, and Next Steps. Types of parenting agreements, what happens if there’s no agreement, keeping a parenting plan up to date, and communicating well afterwards.

The appendices include key phone numbers and support services, key legislation and section references, a mediation preparation worksheet, and your personal resilience and wellbeing plan.

Questions you might be asking

Do I need to know anything about the law?

No. The course assumes no legal background, and it explains each term the first time it appears.

What will I have at the end?

You’ll finish with a completed preparation worksheet, a personal resilience plan, and a drafted opening statement. Fill them in by hand where you can. Writing helps things stick.

What if there is family violence in my situation?

Module 4 deals with this directly. If you are currently unsafe, please contact the services listed in Appendix A, or the numbers on this page, before you work through the course.

Is this legal advice?

No. This course prepares you for the mediation process itself. For advice about your own circumstances, speak with a family lawyer.

What if the material is hard to read?

Some lessons touch on painful ground. Skip any lesson, stop whenever you need to, and come back another day. Module 6 is there for exactly this.

Not ready yet? That’s fine. The course will be here when you are.