FLS webinar: The role of the Child Specialist in FDR mediation

Title: The role of the Child Specialist in FDR mediation

Date: 17 October – 1pm to 2pm

Cost: FLS members: $50 | Non-members: $85

Presenters:
Anna Walker – BA, M.Ed (Hons), PGDipCh.Fam.Psych - Psychologist
Suzanne Alliston – BA, PGDipSW, MA Therapeutic Child Care - Registered Social Worker
Jamie Godfrey – BAppSocSc - Registered Social Worker
Will Story – BA, LLB

Whether you are a family lawyer, FLAS provider or FDR mediator, this webinar from three of Fair Way Resolution’s Child Specialists 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 on the FDR mediation process at Fair Way.

The Child Specialist role is now a critical component of FDR supplier models to ensure that FDR is delivered in a child-inclusive way.

The webinar will cover:

• A background to the legislative change
• An overview of the role, including how it differs from the Voice of Child role in FDR
• An explanation of how Child Specialists interact with FDR parties, other whānau and children
• A snapshot of the information presented by Child Specialists (including psychoeducation for parents/caregivers)
• Case studies demonstrating the role in practice
• A discussion of how the new FDR process fits within the wider Court process (especially for s46F referrals to FDR).

This webinar will give practitioners involved in providing family legal advice a better understanding of these significant changes to the FDR service (informing advice to clients) and the intersection with the Court process.