Family & Relationships · Eastern Melbourne
12 mediation & dispute resolution firms in Eastern Melbourne, Victoria, including Box Hill, Ringwood, Glen Waverley, Doncaster.
12 firms
Ringwood, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Brown & Co Lawyers provides legal services in Ringwood, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Domestic Violence & AVOs and Wills & Estates.
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.
When comparing Box Hill, Ringwood, Glen Waverley and Doncaster firms, look for the practice area that matches the work required. Reviewing a sale contract and handling an existing property dispute are different engagements.
For mediation & dispute resolution, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant VIC experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Eastern Melbourne. 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 Victoria, the Magistrates' Court hears most criminal and minor civil matters, with the County Court and Supreme Court handling more serious cases. Residential tenancy, planning, building and discrimination disputes often go to VCAT. Lawyers are regulated by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, which also 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 County Court or the Supreme Court of Victoria. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Glen Waverley, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Rayner Song Family Lawyers provides legal services in Glen Waverley, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and De Facto Relationships.
Hawthorn, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Clancy & Triado provides legal services in Hawthorn, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and De Facto Relationships.
Lilydale, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Brown & Co Lawyers provides legal services in Lilydale, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Domestic Violence & AVOs and Wills & Estates.
Glen Waverley, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Caray Law provides legal services in Glen Waverley, VIC. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Doncaster East, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Village Family Lawyers provides legal services in Doncaster East, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Divorce & Separation.
Ringwood, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Victoria Legal Aid provides legal services in Ringwood, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Domestic Violence & AVOs and Parenting & Child Custody.
Camberwell, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Clancy & Triado provides legal services in Camberwell, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and De Facto Relationships.
Malvern, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Lopes Family Law provides legal services in Malvern, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Hawthorn East, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Alter Marcel provides legal services in Hawthorn East, VIC. Listed practice areas include Mediation & Dispute Resolution, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Family Law.
Ringwood, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Astute Conveyancing provides legal services in Ringwood, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Wantirna South, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Knox Family Law Specialist provides legal services in Wantirna South, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
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 Victoria are managed by the Victorian Legal Services Board. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.