Industry Updates

For Mediation Institute Members and other Dispute Resolution Professionals

FDR Practice Changes: What's Actually Different and how have you adjusted your FDR practice?

Joanne Law, Director of Mediation Institute, shares a training overview for family dispute resolution (FDR) practitioners on the practice changes following 2024 and 2025 Family Law Act amendments and the ...Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2025.

She invites practitioners to consider how they have adapted to the shift to six child-focused best interest factors, including safety of children and caregivers, broader consideration of important relationships, and a stronger emphasis on assessing parental capacity to meet children’s developmental, psychological, emotional, and cultural needs.

She also highlights new standalone requirements for the consideration of the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children around culture, country, language, and kinship.

The recording reviews family violence screening, coercive control, economic and dowry abuse, disclosure obligations, suitability assessments and confidentiality protections, updated section 60I certificate rules, record retention and CPD requirements, being named on the public FDRP register and complaint-handling requirements.

She provides a brief update on Mediation Institute resources and membership. Mediation Institute Members can view the full presentation with member discussion by logging into http://www.mimembers.au and going to the recorded videos section.

00:00 Introduction
00:34 Legislative Changes Overview
00:58 Best Interest of the Child Factors
08:48 First Nations Children
12:06 Family Violence
17:48 Suitability Assessments & New Regulations
19:24 Updated Obligations & Key Points
29:31 Closing & MembershipShow More

FDR Practice Changes: What's Actually Different and how have you adjusted your FDR practice?

Joanne Law, Director of Mediation Institute, shares a training ...

Family Law Act & Children with Special Needs: Court Orders, Experts and Mediation Considerations

Family law specialists Beth Jarman and Antonia Marran present a paper ...

How to change your Password on mi study247 online

This video explains how to change your password on Mediation ...

How to Download your Mediation Institute Membership Certiticate

Guidance for Mediation Institute Members on how to find and download ...

Affair Recovery and Parenting after Infidelity - Seamless Blend with Angelika Broederlow

In this session, Angelika Broederlow — founder of The Seamless Blend — ...

Family Group Conferencing Is NOT a Normal Case Meeting — Here's the Difference

Most families dread the idea of sitting around a table talking about ...

Where Did Family Group Conferencing Come From? The Origin Story

Where Did Family Group Conferencing Come From? The Origin Story Family ...

Becoming an FGC Facilitator Is a Big Responsibility — Here's Why

When you step into the role of Family Group Conference facilitator, ...

The 4 Pillars of Mediation with David Mitchell

The Four Pillars of Mediation, developed by Adelaide mediator David ...

Think Family Group Conferences Are Full of Conflict? Think Again

One of the biggest fears people have about Family Group Conferencing ...

Property Matters in Family Dispute Resolution: Disclosure, Complexity & Power Imbalances

In this CPD webinar, Joanne Law, Director of Mediation Institute and ...

In this CPD webinar, Joanne Law, Director of Mediation Institute and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, walks through the significant 2024–2025 amendments to the Family Law Act and what they mean ...in practice for Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners (FDRPs).

Topics covered include the codified four-step property framework, the new express provisions for family violence in contributions and current/future circumstances, the statutory duty of disclosure now written into the Act, and the new category for companion animals.

Note: The member discussion portion of this webinar has been edited out of this recording. A full version is available to members in the CPD library. http://www.mimembers.au

🔔 Like, subscribe and hit the bell for more FDR education and family law updates.

⏱️ Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome & introduction
0:58 – Housekeeping & session format
1:37 – Acknowledgement of Country
2:47 – Webinar overview: what we'll cover
4:41 – The four-step property framework (now in the Act – s.79(3))
5:21 – Family violence provisions: contributions & future circumstances
7:13 – Duty of disclosure: moved from Rules into the Act
8:35 – Companion animals: a new category (not just chattel)
9:06 – Add-backs: what's changed with current case law
14:20 – Step 1: Legal & equitable interests, asset identification
16:01 – Step 2: Contributions (financial, non-financial & family violence)
17:32 – Step 2 cont.: The family violence contribution lens
19:51 – Step 3: Current & future circumstances (s.79(5) factors)
25:28 – Housing & care of children: now an explicit factor
31:42 – Other s.79(5) factors: education, earning capacity, cohabitation
35:22 – Family violence: landmark case & the high bar that existed
37:05 – How the amendments have lowered that bar
43:33 – Duty of disclosure: key cases & practical implications
50:55 – s.71B: Our statutory obligation as FDRPs
55:58 – Managing disclosure: pre-mediation & during sessions
1:02:50 – When to stop the process: non-disclosure & financial abuse
1:10:02 – Companion animals: court orders, shared care & intake tips
1:23:07 – Key takeaways & CPD wrap-upShow More

To Be a Great FGC Facilitator — Take ALL Your Hats Off

Social worker. Counselor. Support worker. Mental health professional. ...

Industry Updates

For Mediation Institute Members and other Dispute Resolution Professionals

Recent Posts

AMDRAS Recognition for FDR Practitioners and Students

Mediation Institute Welcomes our Inaugural Leading Mediators

Leading Mediator Application Review Panel

Job Opportunities

Special Frameworks for Leading Mediators Comparison Table

AMDRAS Certificate of Training COT Alternative Pathway

Catch up with On Demand CPD

FDR Practice Changes: What's Actually Different and how have you adjusted your FDR practice?