Find a family dispute resolution practitioner
FDR practitioners can be either:
- private, which means you need to pay for their services
- subsidised by the Australian Government, which means their services are either free or modestly priced.
Only family dispute resolution (FDR) practitioners who have been accredited by us are allowed to conduct FDR.
Find a private FDR practitioner
Private FDR practitioners provide services as part of their private business. They can provide FDR face to face or remotely, over the phone or online. They will charge a fee for their services.
You can use the Family Dispute Resolution Register to find a private FDR practitioner. You can use the map to find a practitioner near you.
Find a government funded service
FDR services are available at government-funded services including:
- Family Relationship Centres
- Legal Aid Commissions
- the Family Relationship Advice Line
- Other community-based family law services.
To find a government-funded service, you can:
- call the Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321
- use the Find local help search to look for a Family Relationship Centre, Family Dispute Resolution service or Regional Family Dispute Resolution service near you.
Family Dispute Resolution services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
The Australian Government funds culturally safe and appropriate FDR for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families as part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The first Commonwealth Implementation Plan under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap included funding of $8.3 million over 3 years to establish culturally safe and appropriate FDR. This included funds for consultation, grant selection and administration activities, and $7.062 million for 18 months of service delivery between January 2023 and June 2024.
In the 2024-25 Budget, the Australian Government provided an additional $11.2 million in administered funding for a further 2 years of service delivery, to 30 June 2026.
Program providers
The following providers are currently funded to provide FDR services until 30 June 2026.
Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation | Darwin and North East Arnhem Land, NT |
| Bungree Aboriginal Association Limited | Central Coast LGA, City of Cessnock, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Newcastle LGA and Port Stephens LGA NSW |
| Dhulawang Aboriginal Corporation | Mid-North Coast (Kempsey) NSW |
| Ebenezer Aboriginal Corporation | Perth, WA |
| Helem Yumba Incorporated | Rockhampton, Livingstone, Gladstone, Woorabinda and Central Highlands, QLD |
| Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd | Brisbane and South-East QLD |
| Orange Aboriginal Corporation Health Service | Orange, Blayney, Bathurst Regional, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lithgow, Mid-Western Regional, Oberon NSW |
| Southern Aboriginal Corporation | South-Western WA |
Confirming if someone is a real family dispute resolution practitioner
If you are in a dispute with someone, an FDR practitioner might contact you to set up a time to do FDR. You should confirm that they are an accredited FDR practitioner before you start FDR.
All accredited FDR practitioners are listed publicly on the Family Dispute Resolution Register. You can search for their name to confirm that they are accredited.