'kon gres 2009 - LEADR's 10th international ADR conference

Collaborative family dispute resolution

Recently Robert McClelland, the Commonwealth Attorney-General (the AG) communicated his interest to the Family Relationship Centres (FRCs) and Community Legal Centres in exploring the following:

legal information sessions be provided at FRCs;
legal advice sessions at FRCs;
enabling lawyers from legal assistance services to accompany a parent during a family dispute resolution process (with guidelines to ensure that the process does not become adversarial); and.
lawyers providing assistance with the drafting of consent orders, based on agreements reached at FRCs.

The AG suggested that the lawyers attending family dispute resolution sessions in FRCs should first commit not to represent the party in court in relation to the issues in dispute are subsequently litigated. which is the only immutable rule for collaborative practice.

The workshop is an opportunity for FDRPs who are private practitioners, as well as those working in FRCs, the Legal Aid Commission and community based organisation to work together to identify the pros and cons of what the AG is suggesting as well ideas for a practicable model/s of collaborative family dispute resolution. The ideas and comments that are developed during the workshop will be sent to the AG for his consideration.

Lorraine Lopich

Lorraine Lopich is a director of the Collaborative and Mediation Centre of Australia Pty Limited and Collaborative Lawyers Pty Limited t/a Lopich Lawyers. Apart from being married and a mother of three sons Lorraine has owned and operated a Sydney Art Gallery and framing factory, organised conferences for large organisations and governments, run a successful litigation practice and most recently focused on collaborative practice, family dispute resolution and mediation generally.

Lorraine was an inaugural member of Collaborative Professionals (NSW) Inc and she is the immediate past president. She has also served on the Board of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and is a current advisory director of the Global Collaborative Law Council. She has taught Collaborative Practice in the US as well as Australia with some of the leading international trainers and practitioners including Pauline Tesler, David Hoffman, Peggy Thompson and Nancy Ross.

Lorraine is keenly looking forward to leading this workshop and conveying the ideas and comments that arise from the participating group to the Attorney-General.