Family Dispute Resolution

FDR is the first step if you need some support making a plan for your whānau. The focus is on building better co-parenting relationships and communication with the assistance of a mediator. It is designed to help you make your own decisions for your children’s future, so you can resolve childcare issues without the time, expense and stress of going to court. Going through the FDR process is also something the Family Court usually requires families to complete before applying to the court.

Anyone with a dispute relating children’s care can use the service. This includes wider family members, such as grandparents or extended whānau.

When you use the Fair Way FDR service, one of our qualified and experienced mediators works with all parties to reach a practical co-parenting agreement that supports the best interests of the children or child. Our mediators work with separated families each day, so they understand what you are going through. Tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) are always at the heart of the process.

We have highly experienced and accredited family mediators all around Aotearoa New Zealand, so we can arrange a mediation venue near you. Confidentiality is key – what you tell us, stays with us unless there are safety concerns. We assist thousands of families each year and around 80% of people are able to resolve some or all matters with the help of one of our family mediators. 

Our service is affordable and may even be free if you qualify for government funding.

There are also lots of added benefits. On top of the mediation, you can get support from a dedicated Child Specialist for your whānau and through Preparation for Mediation can learn communication tools for the future at dedicated coaching sessions, which are all part of the FDR experience with Fair Way.

We understand that every situation is different, so contact us on 0800 77 44 20 to see how we can help. Fair Way's Family Dispute Resolution service is designed to make a hugely stressful time as safe, easy, and straightforward as possible.

Mediation using Fair Way’s FDR service is the first step if you can’t agree on arrangements for your children’s care.

80% of all family mediations with Fair Way result in some or all matters being resolved.

The Ministry of Justice subsidises Fair Way’s Family Dispute Resolution service, and it’s free for some families.

To find out whether you are eligible for a fully funded service call us on 0800 77 44 20 or check the funding table on the Ministry of Justice website.

If eligible, you can use this form to apply for a free service and send it to fdr@fairwayresolution.com.

If you don’t qualify for full funding, you can still access FDR at a subsidised cost of $448.50 per person, including GST. This covers up to 12 hours of services - such as Voice of Child Specialist (if required), Preparation for Mediation and the mediation itself - in each 12-month period. In addition, a Child Specialist will be appointed to your whānau – there is no charge or time limit for their services.

However, it’s always free to contact us on 0800 77 44 20 to get an initial assessment.

Some family situations aren’t suitable for our Family Dispute Resolution service. If so, we can give you an ‘outcome form’ referring your dispute to the Family Court. There’s no charge for this form.

The 12 hours of the FDR mediation process begin at the first point of contact between each person and their appointed mediator, or with the coach if you arrange a Preparation for Mediation session.

If you don’t qualify for funding, you must pay the fee before this first meeting. You can pay online or at a BNZ bank. We will give you a case number and party number – please add them in separate fields. The Resolution Coordinator can also arrange credit card payments by phone.

The fee is non-refundable, and there’s no refund for partial completion of the process or unused hours.

If you don’t qualify for Government funding

Your Resolution Coordinator will help explain the costs.

The FDR fee is $448.50 including GST per person. So, if two unfunded people are involved, each person pays $448.50.

If one has government funding and the other doesn’t, only the unfunded person pays that fee. The other pays nothing.