Mi Family Dispute Resolution Coach

Practice, reflect, and stay compliant as an FDRP in Australia. By Mediation Institute.

Quick navigation

Overview
Quick Start
Roleplays & Simulations
Reflection Tools
Journals & CPD
Compliance Toolkit
Training Documents
Western Australia Notes
Confidentiality & Privacy
Prompt Cheat-Sheet
FAQ
Limits & Disclaimer

What this Coach does

This Coach helps Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners (FDRPs), trainees, and students in Australia to:

Run FDR roleplays (parenting, property, combined, special disputes).
Receive supervision-style feedback with strengths, development areas, and compliance checks.
Undertake guided reflection (Kolb, 7-Eyes, What? So What? What Now?).
Maintain a reflective journal and CPD/compliance log with exportable reports.
Generate training-only sample documents and review drafts against accreditation standards.

Legal basis
References include the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), Family Law Regulations 1984, Family Dispute Resolution Regulations 2008, Attorney-General’s accreditation requirements, and where relevant Family Court Act 1997 (WA).

Quick Start (2 minutes)

Tell the Coach who you are:
Practitioner Student Trainee
Pick your task:
- Run a roleplay → say “Start roleplay”.
- Reflect on a session → say “Start reflection”.
- Log CPD/compliance → say “Log CPD” or “Compliance report”.
- Draft/review documents → say “Review my parenting plan clause”.
Follow the prompts. The Coach will guide you step-by-step and summarise key outcomes.

Example: "Start roleplay. Parenting case, I'm the mediator. You play both parties. Intermediate complexity. Full session."

Roleplays & Simulations

Use the built-in launcher. The Coach will ask for:

Case type: parenting, property, combined, special dispute.
Your role: mediator, student, co-mediator, observer.
Coach’s role: play one party, both parties, or co-mediator.
Complexity: basic, intermediate, advanced.
Length: intake only, or full session.

Best practice tips

Set the stage and ground rules early (neutrality, self-determination).
Use ethical language and avoid legal advice.
Pause after key moves to request feedback on skills and compliance.

After the simulation

Receive structured feedback (strengths, development, compliance).
Answer a few reflective prompts and save to your journal.

Try: "Start roleplay: combined parenting/property, I'm trainee mediator, you play both parties, advanced, intake only."

Reflection Tools

Choose one of three methods:

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (default for full learning loops).
7-Eyes Model of Supervision (relational/systemic focus).
What? So What? What Now? (rapid debrief).

Interactive templates (step-by-step)

Kolb CE guided – one question at a time, then save with passphrase.
What/So What/Now – simple 3-phase guided debrief.

When to use which

Kolb: link practice to theory, deeper learning.
7-Eyes: supervision themes, dynamics, wider system.
What/So/Now: quick learning after a single session.

Example: "Start reflection. Student-choice. Use Kolb. I co-mediated a parenting intake yesterday."

Reflective Journals & CPD

Automated Reflective Journal (students & trainees)

The Coach maintains a secure, step-by-step journal (17 prompts). You’ll set a passphrase to save entries. Entries are tagged as practitioner-choice, student-choice, or supervisor-assigned, and support a final compiled report.

At the end of your placement, the Coach can compile: Cover Page, Hours Log (≥ 50 hours), 5 full reflective entries, and Overall Learning Summary. Labeled for training purposes only, not legally binding.

CPD & Compliance Tracking

Log CPD hours (target 25 hrs/year) and topics.
Track insurance and registration renewal dates.
Generate quarterly/annual CPD + compliance reports with audit checklists.

Try: "Log CPD: 1.5 hrs webinar on child-informed practice, 10 Sep 2025, provider: Mediation Institute."

Compliance Toolkit

Guidance aligned to: Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), Family Law Regulations 1984, Family Dispute Resolution Regulations 2008, AGD accreditation.
Optional WA alignment (Family Court Act 1997 (WA)).
Reminders and alerts for registration, CPD, and insurance.

Information only. The Coach provides legal information, not legal advice. Always check current legislation and local practice directions.

Ask: "Compliance check: my draft section 60I certificate workflow—any gaps against the regs?"

Training Documents

The Coach can create sample, training-only documents and review your drafts:

Intake notes templates.
Parenting plan clauses.
Heads of agreement.
Section 60I certificate examples.

All generated documents are examples for training only, not legally binding.

Example: "Draft a training-only parenting plan clause for school holidays with equal time and changeovers."

Western Australia (WA) Users

If you practise in WA, the Coach will align guidance with the Family Court Act 1997 (WA) and local regulations. Tell the Coach you are WA-based at the start of your session.

Say: "I'm practising in WA. Please apply Family Court Act 1997 (WA) where relevant."

Confidentiality & Privacy

Do not share identifiable client information. Use initials or anonymised details.
Use the passphrase lock when saving reflections, journals, or CPD entries.
Clearly separate training simulations from real client matters.

For training records, entries are tagged and compiled for training purposes only.

Prompt Cheat-Sheet

Roleplays

Start roleplay: parenting, I'm mediator, you play both parties, intermediate, full session.

Pause and give feedback on neutrality and self-determination.

Reflection

Start reflection: supervisor-assigned, 7-Eyes Model. Co-mediation debrief.

What? So What? What Now? quick debrief on shuttle intake today.

Compliance & Docs

Compliance report: Q3 2025, include CPD hours and insurance status.

Review my training-only section 60I certificate process for gaps.

FAQ

Is this legal advice?

No. The Coach provides legal information only, aligned to the cited legislation and regulations.

Can I upload case law?

You can reference case law summaries for CPD enrichment. Case law is not used for mediation roleplays.

How are journals saved?

Reflections are saved under your chosen passphrase. You can request a compiled report at any time.

Will it work if my supervisor assigns a model?

Yes. Mark the entry as supervisor-assigned and select the requested model. The report will tag it accordingly.

What if I practise in WA?

Tell the Coach you are WA-based; guidance will also consider the Family Court Act 1997 (WA).

Limits & Disclaimer

For education and training. Not legally binding and not legal advice.
You are responsible for professional judgment and compliance with the current law and local practice directions.
Do not enter real client identifiers; anonymise all training material.