Our Legal Services

Dispute Resolution

Get in touch
with us today.

North Shore

Address:
Address information:

Crows Nest (Available by appointment)
Crows Nest (Regus)
246 Pacific Highway,
Crows Nest NSW 2065

Hornsby (Available by appointment)
Level 1/22-28 Edgeworth David Avenue,
Hornsby NSW 2077
Family Law Services Team
Eastern Suburbs

Phone:
1300 516 443
Address:
2 Short Street,
Double Bay 2028
NSW
Sydney

Phone:
(02) 9283 5877
Address:
Level 7, Suite 702
570 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Eastern Suburbs

Phone:
1300 516 443
Address:
2 Short Street,
Double Bay 2028 NSW
Illawarra

Phone:
(02) 4202 6943
Address:
Centretown Plaza,
Suites 8 & 9, 128-134 Crown Street,
Wollongong NSW 2500
Parramatta

Phone:
(02) 9635 4266
Address:
Level 7
9 George Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
Canberra

Phone:
1300 464 619
Address:
Australian Family Lawyers (partner firm to Watts McCray)
AMP Building Level 6, 1 Hobart Place Canberra, ACT 2601
Northern Beaches

Phone:
(02) 9635 4266
Address:
Suite 219/18-20 Dale Street, Brookvale

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Alternative Dispute Resolution

Watts McCray’s mediators, arbitrators and collaborative lawyers have 20-40 years’ experience in Family Law dispute resolution. Our skilled team is able to help you come to a fair and just conclusion to legal family disputes without needing to involve the courts. This saves you time and money and gives you the highest possible chance to find an amicable solution. Read on to find out more about each type of dispute resolution.

Mediation

Mediation is designed to solve disputes between parties without having to contend with the Courts. This makes the process less adversarial. Mediation can either take the form of a meeting or several meetings between the affected parties and the Mediator, who acts as an impartial third party. Having a neutral mediator can help everyone involved quickly reach an agreement to the dispute.

Arbitration

Working with an Arbitrator is a different process. Arbitration is typically a service that one is referred to, either by a party in the dispute, or by the Court. Rather than enabling the parties involved to come to a conclusion, the arbitrator takes stock of the evidence in a dispute and comes to their own conclusion. It’s possible for this type of resolution to include evidence brought forward in person by the parties affected. The decision that an Arbitrator makes is legally binding on the parties, and enforceable by the Court.

Our Mediators and Arbitrators are:

Justin Dowd AM

Barry Frakes

Collaborative Law

Collaborative law is a form of Dispute Resolution in which parties affected by a dispute each bring a lawyer with them, under the assumption that each party, and their respective lawyer, will all work together to find an amicable agreement.

Within the context of family law, this is often used to help negotiate financial issues or child support/custody post-separation. These negotiations generally take place in “4-way” face-to-face meetings between the parties and each collaborative lawyer. Once a solution has been found, all lawyers involved help draw up the document which will be filed in Court, typically to become a Consent Order.

Our Expert ADR Team is Here to Help

Need more information? Don’t worry, the team here at Watts McCray has the expertise you need. Get in touch with us today to avoid costly, protracted court battles and receive professional family law advice.

The Courts of this country should not be the places where resolution of disputes begin. They should be places where the disputes end after alternative methods of resolving disputes have been considered and tried.
Sandra Day O'Connor