Participation, agreement and reduced acrimony through family mediation: Benefits for the ambivalent client in a mandatory setting

Abstract

In Australia, it is mandatory for separating couples to attempt Family Dispute Resolution (FDR/mediation) before taking a parenting matter to court. In this context some clients may attend FDR solely as a means of accessing court processes. This article examines key outcomes across a large sample of FDR clients in a community sector organization. Participation, rates of agreement, levels of satisfaction, and levels of acrimony are assessed for the sample as a whole and for a subgroup of those indicating their intention to proceed to court. Strong rates of participation, agreement, and satisfaction are reported for the full sample, and significant reductions in acrimony are evident among those who reached agreement in FDR. We find that those who indicate ambivalence to negotiating parenting matters in FDR nevertheless derive benefit from participation in terms of reduced acrimony, satisfaction with the process, and reaching some level of agreement.