Join Mediation Institute
There are three categories of membership. Which one you can join depends on your eligibility and the work you do. Every member gets free CPD and the members portal. Practitioner members also get independent complaint handling, a listing in our directories, and access to a professional indemnity insurance discount we have negotiated with Aon — and AMDRAS national accreditation can be held and administered by Mi.
Which membership do I need?
Three categories of membership. If you are not sure which you need, start with the questions underneath.
AMDRAS Accredited Mediator
For mediators who want their AMDRAS national accreditation held and administered by Mi.
- AMDRAS national accreditation through Mi
- Includes Practitioner Membership if you are also an FDR practitioner or FGC facilitator
- Independent complaint handling
- Free CPD and events
- Find a Mediator listing
- Access to the Aon PI insurance discount (policy bought separately)
Practitioner Membership
For FDR practitioners, family group conference facilitators, and mediators accredited through another provider.
- Independent complaint handling
- Free CPD and events
- Find a Mediator listing
- Access to the Aon PI insurance discount (policy bought separately)
Professional Development
For people who want the CPD and the community without accreditation or complaint handling.
- All Mi CPD events and webinars
- Personal CPD register
- Member community and resources
Not a practitioner membership — no accreditation, complaint handling, directory listing or insurance discount. There is no directory listing because this application does not verify your accreditation or practitioner standing.
Full detailsNote on comparing prices: AMDRAS Accredited Mediator Membership runs for two years because accreditation is granted on a two-year cycle. The other two are annual.
Start where you are
Six common situations. Pick the one that sounds like you.
I am new to mediation
Three steps before you can be accredited:
- AMDRAS Certificate of Training
- AMDRAS Certificate of Assessment
- Apply for accreditation through Mi
I have completed my COT and COA
You are ready to apply. The Certificate of Training and Certificate of Assessment are the two prerequisites for AMDRAS national accreditation through Mi — and accreditation and membership are handled in the one application.
Apply through the members portalI am new to Family Dispute Resolution
You need the qualification first — the CHC81115 Graduate Diploma, or the FDR core units if you already hold a recognised qualification. You also need an independent complaint handling body: Practitioner Membership provides the complaint handling required for your application.
FDR training pathwaysI am a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
Practitioner Membership gives you the independent complaint handling your accreditation requires. Two situations, the same application form:
- I hold the qualification and am applying for accreditation — you need a complaint handling body named in your application.
- I am already accredited and want Mi as my complaint handling body.
I want to facilitate family group conferences
Family group conferencing has its own training, separate from mediation. Complete the Family Group Conference Facilitator Training, then join as a Practitioner Member for complaint handling and a directory listing.
FGC Facilitator TrainingI am a certified family group conference facilitator
Certification is required — facilitating a family group conference is not something you can simply take on. Certified facilitators join as Practitioner Members for independent complaint handling and a listing in the Find a FGC Practitioner directory.
Apply for Practitioner MembershipI am already accredited somewhere else
You can transfer your AMDRAS accreditation to Mi, or keep it where it is and join as a Practitioner Member.
How to transfer to MiWhat you get
The things members tell us matter most.
Every Mi member gets free CPD webinars and events, plus a personal CPD register in the members portal that tracks your hours for you. No per-event fees, no separate CPD subscription. For most members this alone covers the cost of membership.
How much CPD you need depends on what you are accredited as. AMDRAS Accredited Mediators need 25 hours every two years plus practice hours; accredited FDR Practitioners need 24 hours every two years with no separate practice-hour requirement.
Independent complaint handling
Mi is an approved complaint handling body. Members have a genuinely independent process behind them — which is a requirement for FDR practitioners, AMDRAS accredited mediators and certified family group conference facilitators.
How complaint handling worksDiscounted professional indemnity insurance
This is a discount, not an inclusion. Insurance is not covered by your membership fee. Mi has negotiated reduced premiums with Aon, and every practitioner member can access them — you buy the policy from Aon directly. The Aon offer includes unlimited retroactive date, complimentary run-off cover and two hours of legal advice.
Insurance for membersTraining discounts and resources
Reduced rates on advanced training, member discounts on everything we run, plus resources and practice support in the members portal.
All member benefitsBe found by clients
Every practitioner member who wants a public listing gets one in the Find a Mediator directory, searchable by location and specialisation. There are also filtered directories for our FDR and FGC Members. We only list people whose accreditation and practitioner standing we have verified — which is what makes the directory worth being on.
Find a Mediator directoryJobs board and enquiries
We run a dispute resolution jobs board. When someone contacts us looking for a mediator, we email a filtered list of members who match what the client needs. We also help members find a suitably qualified practitioner to hand work to if they fall ill or want a holiday.
See the jobs board
Members right across Australia
Clients can search the directory on a map as well as by name, location or specialisation — so someone looking for a mediator in their part of the country can find you. Our members are in every state and territory, in the capitals and well beyond them.
See the member mapVolunteer in role plays with our students
Members are welcome to take part as role play participants in our mediation and FDR training. It is a good way to keep your own practice sharp, see how other practitioners work, and meet the people coming into the profession — and our students get a realistic party to work with rather than a classmate. Volunteering is organised through the Mi Network.
Volunteer for a role playHow to join
Applications are made through the members portal at mimembers.au.
- Choose your category of membership above.
- Create your account at mimembers.au and complete the application form.
- Professional Development Membership starts immediately on payment.
- Practitioner and AMDRAS Accredited Mediator applications are checked by a person before an invoice is issued. You only pay once your application has been approved.
- Set up your directory profile (if eligible) and book your first free CPD event.
How long does it take? Generally a day or two to review your application and issue your invoice. After payment we apply your roles by hand and email you to confirm. Need it faster? Ask us to expedite it.
Telling the Attorney-General’s Department that Mi is your complaint handling body
Every accredited FDR Practitioner must have an independent complaint handling body recorded on the FDR Register. Once your Mi membership is active, you can name Mediation Institute. The steps differ depending on whether you are applying for accreditation for the first time or already accredited.
Chicken and egg? If you do not have a member number yet, put Test 100 in as your member number when you request your quote. Aon will follow up for your real member number once you are insured and your Mi membership has been approved and paid for. Aon insurance for Mi members
Applying for FDR accreditation for the first time
- Join Mi as a Practitioner Member.
- Download your Membership Certificate from the members portal. It is not emailed to you. Until you are accredited it will read Pending Accreditation — that is correct and is what the Department expects to see.
- Upload your Membership Certificate, your Certificate of Currency and the other required documents to the FDR Register with your accreditation application.
- When your accreditation is approved, contact Mi with your FDR number and the date you were accredited. We update our records and reissue your Membership Certificate showing you as accredited.
Already accredited and moving your complaint handling to Mi
- Join Mi as a Practitioner Member.
- Download your Membership Certificate from the members portal.
- Log in to the FDR Register and upload your Membership Certificate to confirm your complaint handling cover.
Have your insurance Certificate of Currency ready. The Register currently makes you re-upload it as part of that step, even though nothing about your insurance has changed.
Already a member?
How to download your membership certificate
Your proof of complaint handling cover for the FDR Register, and for your own records.
How to download itElder mediation specialisation
Add a recognised specialisation to your accreditation.
Check eligibilityWho we are
Mediation Institute is an Australian training and accreditation body for dispute resolution professionals. We train mediators and family dispute resolution practitioners, hold and administer AMDRAS national accreditation, and provide independent complaint handling for our members.
Mi is not a Registered Training Organisation. We are a specialist training provider and we partner with Inspiritive (RTO 21178) to deliver nationally recognised qualifications, including the CHC81115 Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution. Our complaint handling service is approved by the AMDRAS Board and by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department.
Our Director, Joanne Law, served on the AMDRAS Board (formerly the Mediator Standards Board) from 2023 to 2025. We have long argued that mediation deserves recognition as a profession in its own right, and membership is how we support that in practice.
Mi is recognised by AMDRAS both to train mediators and to hold and administer their national accreditation. Not every provider is both.
