Family Dispute Resolution NZ

30/03/2026

How do Relationship Property and Family Dispute Resolution fit together?

In the latest edition of the Family Advocate magazine William Story explores how disputes about the care of children are often closely linked to relationship property issues.

If you are interested in learning more about using mediation, read on at:
www.fairwayresolution.com/resources/relationship-property-and-fdr

18/12/2025

Merry Christmas from the Fair Way team! 🎅

If you would like to get in touch with us over the Christmas and new year period, you can find our opening hours here:

www.fairwayresolution.com/resources/christmas-hours-2025

19/11/2025

The recent FDR changes are having a big impact.

In the latest edition of the Family Advocate magazine Will Story explores why 2025 may well turn out to be the year in which the full potential of FDR is unlocked.

Read more in ‘Closing the chasm between FDR and the Court’ -

https://www.fairwayresolution.com/resources/closing-chasm-between-fdr-and-court

18/03/2025

We’re looking forward to this Family Court Association Auckland event next week.

This is a great chance to meet our Child Specialists and learn more about the mahi they are doing to support Child Inclusive FDR.

We hope to see you there!

07/03/2025

How can kids be involved in FDR and have a say?

In this article Suzanne shares her perspective as a Child Specialist and steps us through Fair Way’s approach when meeting with children.

www.fairwayresolution.com/resources/meeting-children

02/12/2024

The summer holidays are just around the corner. Have you made a plan yet?

We share some tips for separated families in our latest article.

Our number one piece of advice? Get in touch with us sooner, rather than later, if you need some help to get a plan in place.

Fair Way’s Family Dispute Resolution team share some advice to support separated families through the Christmas and summer holiday period.

19/11/2024

It's over six months since the newly established Child Specialist role began working in Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) and many are curious as to what impact the role has made and the outcomes achieved for whānau.

While it is still early days, in this article we share some key indicators and examples that highlight what has been achieved so far:

https://www.fairwayresolution.com/resources/what-impact-have-child-specialists-made-so-far-in-fdr-mediation

If you would like to find out more about mediation and how children can be heard in the process, please get in touch with us on 0800 77 44 20.

14/11/2024

Fair Way’s Family Dispute Resolution team were delighted to attend the recent Triennial Family Court Conference.

It was a fantastic opportunity for Will Story and our Child Specialist team to connect with kaimahi and judges from Family Courts around Aotearoa.

We enjoyed our conversations around how we can work together to support whānau and sharing our child-inclusive approach to mediation, which ensures tamariki can safely have a voice in the process.

12/11/2024

Recently mediators from around the motu recently gathered in Te Whanganui a Tara for the two-day Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand Family Dispute Resolution Hui.

Fair Way was the proud platinum sponsor of the event, focussed on the development of the family mediator community. We enjoyed all the informative sessions and practice discussions, including presentations from Fair Way’s team on how FDR mediators and Child Specialists can collaborate together.

William Story and Samantha de Coning, pictured below with AMINZ president Malcolm Wallace, especially enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the amazing mahi FDR mediators do to support whānau across Aotearoa while hosting the conference dinner.

11/10/2024

Whether you are a family lawyer, FLAS provider or FDR mediator, this New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa CPD webinar with Fair Way’s FDR Operations Manager William Story and Child Specialists Anna Walker, Jamie Godfrey and Suzanne Alliston is not to be missed.

They will provide an essential overview of how the Family Court (Supporting Children in Court) Legislation Act 2021 which came into effect in August 2023 has impacted Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) and will outline how the Fair Way team ensure mediation is delivered in a child-inclusive way.

Title: The role of the Child Specialist in FDR mediation
Date: 17 October – 1pm to 2pm
Cost: FLS members: $50 | Non-members: $85

Register at:
https://bookwhen.com/familylawsection/e/ev-s22b-20241017130000

03/04/2024

A big change is coming in the family mediation space...

Will Story answers common questions about child-inclusive mediation from mediators and lawyers in his latest article.

Answers to your FAQs… By Will Story for the Family Advocate, Autumn 2023