FDR Regulations 2025
The Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2025, which we’ll refer to as FDR Regulations 2025, came into effect on the 1st April 2025, replacing the Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2008.
This post goes through some of the major changes that will impact clients of FDR, people who are seeking to become qualified to register as FDRPs and for those who are currently registered FDR practitioners.
The purpose of this Post
We know this post has crazy number of links but we hope it will be helpful for you if you are looking for information about Family Dispute Resolution information.
It is a jump off point for anyone who is:
- a user or referrer of FDR services or would like to make a complaint about a FDRP,
- interested in becoming a FDR Practitioner and
- for current FDR practitioners.
Users of FDR Services
The FDR Register
To improve certainty about whether your mediator is a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner the Attorney Generals Department will now require all FDR practitioners to have a public listing on the register which is located at Family Dispute Resolution Register – Attorney General’s Department
People who are not on the register may be unqualified, cancelled or suspended. A person who has NMAS or AMDRAS mediator accreditation is not a family dispute resolution practitioner and have not met the good character requirements, have not completed the post graduate level training and do not have the same Family Law Act 1975 protections. Mediation Institute strongly encourages you to only work with registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
Information about Family Dispute Resolution
This page on the Australian Attorney Generals Department website contains information about Family Dispute Resolution for families – Navigating family dispute resolution | Attorney-General’s Department
It covers the topics of:
- Family dispute resolution practitioners
- Confidentiality and inadmissibility – for even more information visit What stays confidential in family dispute resolution | Attorney-General’s Department
- Situations where you may not need to do FDR
- Situations where you may need to do FDR more than once
- If FDR is unsuccessful
- Complaints – Mediation Institute is a complaint handling body for some registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners. Find out more.
- Related links
Becoming an FDR Practitioner
Requirements to become a FDR Practitioner
The process to become a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner requires a number of elements.
- Competencies and Qualifications – You can complete the CHC81115 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution or Core Units with Mediation Institute. Find out more. You will be able to register with the Core Units only if you meet other educational requirements
- Good Character and Fit and Proper Person Requirements include a Police Check and Working with Children Check
- Professional Development Insurance – Get a quote with AON
- Independent Complaint Handling – Mediation Institute provides this for just $190 per year (2025 fees) through our Practitioner Membership. Find out more.
Current FDR Practitioners
Requirements for FDR Practitioners
There are several pages on the AG’s website that have been updated to the FDR Regs 2025 that support registered FDRPs.
This page Once you are accredited as a family dispute resolution practitioner | Attorney-General’s Department covers the following topics:
- Ongoing requirements to maintain accreditation – providing information about changes in your circumstances within prescribed periods, maintaining insurance, handling independent complaints, and engaging in professional development.
- Consequences for failing to maintain the ongoing requirements these include conditions on your registration, suspension or cancellation.
- Situations when you must notify the department – read the full details
- Updating the Family Dispute Resolution Register – how and when to make updates
- Continuing professional development – what can and can’t be counted as CPD – Mediation Institute provides Free for Members CPD See our current events – Mi Members | Events
- Suspension of accreditation – you can suspend for up to 5 years after which your registration will be automatically cancelled. If you originally qualified via the three unit pathway you won’t be able to re-accredit without completing the Graduate Diploma or core units if you have other qualifications. If you are accredited through the 3 unit pathway consider undertaking RPL to have your current skills recognised. Find out more – RPL (Recognition Of Prior Learning) | Mediation Institute
- Cancellation of accreditation
Obligations when conducting Family Dispute Resolution
This page Obligations when conducting family dispute resolution | Attorney-General’s Department covers the following topics:
- General obligations to parties when providing FDR services – there are updated obligations under the FDR Regs 2025 so please read carefully and update your Policies and Procedures.
- Suitability assessment – there are updates in the FDR Regs 2025 to improve clarity about the inadmissibility of assessments undertaken by FDRPs
- Information to provide to parties in dispute – there are updates in the FDR Regs 2025 regarding the information to provide to parties which is now included in Section 21 of the FDR Regulations 2025 as well as information that must be provided by FDRP’s prescribed under the FLA.
- Child abuse reporting obligations – clarification of the FLA section that makes FDR Practitioners mandatory reporters. You can find out more about Mandatory Reporting on the Australian Institute of Family Studies Website –
- Find out more about your obligations which links to the practical considerations page. Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect | Australian Institute of Family Studies
Practical Considerations for Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners
The Practical considerations for family dispute resolution practitioners | Attorney-General’s Department is a comprehensive page with the following information sections. It is good general information but does not cover all of your obligations.
- Conflict of interest
- Practitioner registration number
- Contacting parties
- Children’s involvement in the FDR process
- Choice of FDR practitioners
- Safety plans and managing for family violence
- FDR services must be provided within Australia
- Property mediation
- Including a support person in FDR
- Where and how you provide FDR services
- Court ordered FDR – Certificate of Dispute Resolution
- If a client makes a complaint
- Resources for practitioners
- Contact details
- Find out more about your obligations
- Legislation
Screening and Assessment for Family Dispute Resolution
- Screening resources
- Determine whether FDR is suitable
- Risk domains
- Suitability for FDR
- Family violence and FDR
- Ongoing screening and assessment
- Supervision – we are in the process of identifying members and other suitably qualified and experienced FDRPs who are available for supervision of interns and qualified FDRPs. If you are interested in being on the panel, please use this form to express your interest.
- Other obligations
Section 60i and 66H (WA) Certificates
These certificates have changed and the new certificates must be used after the 1st April 2025. Find out more and access your templates on this page. Section 60I certificates for family dispute resolution | Attorney-General’s Department
- Certificate templates and information sheet
- Purpose of the section 60I certificate
- When to use a section 66H certificate
- Types of section 60I certificates
- Issuing certificates
- Timeframes for issuing section 60I certificates
- Revocation of certificates
- Court-referred FDR cases
