Family & Relationships · Canberra
13 mediation & dispute resolution firms in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, including Canberra City, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong.
13 firms
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Parker Coles Curtis provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, International Family Law & Hague Abduction and Divorce & Separation.
Mediation is confidential and usually far cheaper and faster than litigation. In parenting disputes, family dispute resolution is generally required before court, and an accredited practitioner issues a certificate when it doesn't resolve the matter. Lawyers can attend with you or advise you before and after sessions.
Mediation resolves disputes faster and more cheaply than court, and keeps decisions in the parties' hands rather than a judge's.
Family dispute resolution is generally compulsory before parenting proceedings under section 60I of the Family Law Act. Practitioners must be accredited by the Attorney-General's Department. Many courts also order mediation in civil disputes.
Understand the next step
Clarify whether you want advice before mediation, a lawyer to attend, or help recording an agreement afterwards. A mediator’s role and your own legal adviser’s role are different.
Ask what can be settled in the session and what further documentation is needed to give the outcome its intended effect.
A Canberra address does not automatically mean ACT law is the only law involved. Commonwealth decisions, workplace matters and transactions involving nearby NSW can require different experience and procedures.
For mediation & dispute resolution, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant ACT experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Canberra. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
Explain the relationship history, current arrangements and outcome you want. Identify immediate concerns and provide every existing order or agreement.
Discuss negotiation and family dispute resolution. Parenting applications generally involve prior dispute resolution unless an exception applies; ask the lawyer to assess the appropriate process.
Ask how an agreement would be documented and implemented. Clarify who handles related transfers, finance and estate-planning work.
Ask for separate estimates for advice, negotiation, document preparation and court work. A fixed divorce-application fee does not necessarily cover parenting or financial disputes.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Highlight court dates, proposed travel or relocation and any planned property sale. Ask which time limits apply to your particular issues rather than assuming there is one deadline for everything.
In the ACT, the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court share the caseload without an intermediate court. Tenancy, discrimination, planning and guardianship disputes go to ACAT. Canberra also hosts many federal bodies, so public law and Commonwealth employment matters are common. The ACT Law Society regulates practitioners and handles complaints.
Good to know
Generally yes, with exceptions such as threats to safety and child abuse.
A certificate from a family dispute resolution practitioner, usually needed before filing a parenting application in court.
Most matters start in the Magistrates Court. More serious cases go to the Supreme Court of the ACT. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Apollo Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Family Law.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
HCC Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Business & Commercial Law.
Belconnen, ACT · Canberra
Yellow Legal provides legal services in Belconnen, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Kingston, ACT · Canberra
Morris Legal Group provides legal services in Kingston, ACT. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Commercial Property & Leasing.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Robinson McGuinness Family Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Franklin, ACT · Canberra
Infinity Legal provides legal services in Franklin, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra City, ACT · Canberra
Mazengarb Family Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra City, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Deakin, ACT · Canberra
Campbell & Co. Lawyers provides legal services in Deakin, ACT. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Probate & Estate Administration.
Weston Creek, ACT · Canberra
C Power Lawyers provides legal services in Weston Creek, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Powers of Attorney & Guardianship.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Chapman & Smyth Family Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Divorce & Separation.
Belconnen, ACT · Canberra
Bridges Family Law Specialists provides legal services in Belconnen, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra City, ACT · Canberra
Mark Fleming Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra City, ACT. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Property & Conveyancing and Intellectual Property & Trade Marks.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.
Practising certificates in Australian Capital Territory are managed by the ACT Law Society. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.