Family & Relationships · Perth South
9 mediation & dispute resolution firms in Perth South, Western Australia, including Fremantle, Rockingham, Mandurah, Armadale.
9 firms
Mandurah, WA · Perth South
Coastal Family Law provides legal services in Mandurah, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing 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.
Fremantle, Rockingham, Mandurah and Armadale span a wide southern Perth search area. Compare the actual suburb and service scope before treating a listing as a convenient local option.
For mediation & dispute resolution, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant WA experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Perth South. 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.
Western Australia is the only state with its own family court: the Family Court of Western Australia hears parenting and property matters for both married and de facto couples. Other matters start in the Magistrates Court, with the District and Supreme Courts for serious cases, and the State Administrative Tribunal for planning, guardianship and many licensing reviews. Lawyers are admitted and regulated by the Legal Practice Board.
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 District Court or the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Family law matters are heard by the Family Court of Western Australia.
Mandurah, WA · Perth South
Ds Family Law provides legal services in Mandurah, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, International Family Law & Hague Abduction and Parenting & Child Custody.
North Fremantle, WA · Perth South
Meillon & Bright Family Lawyers Fremantle provides legal services in North Fremantle, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Binding Financial Agreements.
Mount Pleasant, WA · Perth South
Doray Legal provides legal services in Mount Pleasant, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and De Facto Relationships.
Rockingham, WA · Perth South
Elite Family Law provides legal services in Rockingham, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Parenting & Child Custody.
North Fremantle, WA · Perth South
Fletcher Law provides legal services in North Fremantle, WA. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Fremantle, WA · Perth South
Elizabeth Wiese & Associates provides legal services in Fremantle, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and De Facto Relationships.
Sivan Legal provides legal services in Rockingham, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Cox Legal provides legal services in Mandurah, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution 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 Western Australia are managed by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.