Mediation - General protections dismissal
What is mediation?
Mediation is an informal way of solving a problem. At mediation, a neutral person (the 'mediator') helps people involved in a dispute come together to discuss the issues and reach agreement. The mediator's role is to help the parties to communicate and come up with solutions. A mediator will not take sides and cannot give you legal advice.
If you are ordered to attend mediation by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the mediator will usually be a Registrar of the Court.
How is mediation arranged?
At the first directions hearing, the orders made usually include an order about you and your employer contacting the registry to arrange a mediation date. You can contact the registry to organise a date, time and place available for mediation. Make sure it's a date that you are able to attend.
You should contact the registry where you filed the application. To find the contact details of the registry, see:
Does it cost anything?
If you are ordered to attend mediation, you won't have to pay anything.
What should I do to prepare?
To prepare for mediation, you should:
- learn about the mediation process
- think about the issues
- work out what you want
- understand your legal rights
- think about the options for ending the dispute
- understand your emotions
- plan how to communicate
- find out about interpreters
- gather documents and information.
Step by step guide: Preparing for mediation
Where do I go?
When you contacted the registry to arrange mediation you would have been told where it was being held. If you are unsure, you should contact the registry again.
What happens at mediation?
Every mediation is different. However, generally mediation will follow a set format. You and the employer will each tell your side of the story and then there will be time for discussion with each other and also with the mediator in private sessions.
For more information, see
Going to mediation.