Child-Focused Mediation in 2025: How Family Law Reform is Reshaping Parenting Disputes in Victoria
In 2025, the way we resolve parenting disputes is changing - not just in law, but in practice. The Family Law Amendment Act 2024, which came into effect in June 2025, redefines how the legal system considers the needs of children during separation and divorce.
For Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) practitioners, these reforms are more than procedural updates. They represent a shift toward a more child-focused, holistic, and safety-conscious approach to resolving disputes between separated parents.
In this post, we explore how the law has changed, what it means for FDR services, and how mediators can better centre children’s voices in the work they do.
Measuring the Impact: Family Dispute Resolution Delivers a $20-for-$1 Benefit in Victoria
In a world of tightening budgets and stretched legal systems, Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) has proven itself not just as a humane alternative to court - but as a financially smart one.
Recent 2025 data from Relationships Australia and national FDR services show that for every $1 invested in community-based FDR, there’s up to $20 in economic and social return.
This post explores what’s behind that number, how it applies here in Victoria, and what it means for families navigating separation in a fair, sustainable, and cost-effective way.
How 2025 Family Law Reforms Are Changing Family Dispute Resolution in Victoria
Victoria’s family law system is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in over a decade. As of mid‑2025, sweeping reforms to the Family Law Act and new practitioner regulations are redefining how Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is delivered across the state.
These changes affect not just family law practitioners but also thousands of separating couples and families who rely on FDR to resolve parenting, financial, and property disputes without going to court.
In this post, we explore what’s changed, what it means for clients and professionals, and how FDR in Victoria is entering a new, more accountable era.