FAMILY SERVICES
DIVORCE & SEPARATION
With You Every Step of the Way
At Healthy Life Transitions we assist the couple to separate in a way that is respectful and yields the best possible outcome for all. Our practitioners assist by help parents and children cope with the challenging feelings and experiences that occur during this relationship transition. We work with parents individually and in some cases together to help them communicate about the family separation to their children; to create a child-focused parenting plan and work to develop a cooperative post-separation parenting relationship.
Also see Family Dispute Resolution
CHILD & ADOLESCENT COUNSELING
Quality Care
If you’re looking for quality Child Development Services with a experienced Family Psychologist that cares, then you’ve come to the right place. We support children and parents to manage life’s most complex matters. We offer a range of services for parents who have concerns about their child's social and emotional development. We offer a range of counselling services for children and young people who are experiencing difficulties. Early intervention can assist a child or young person to navigate complex problems and ensure health life transitions.
If you have concerns for your child we recommend you schedule an appointment today.
FAMILY DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Practical Solutions for Families
Prior to making an application to the Family Law Courts about a parenting and property matters, parents need to demonstrate that they have attempted to resolve the issues in dispute. Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is not appropriate in cases where there is family violence, child abuse, power imbalance or when there is a reason for urgency.
FDR is a process which supports parents to resolve their parenting matters together with the help of a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners are professional in conflict management who are trained to provide child-focused services. Our FDRP's are accredited by the Federal Attorney Generals Department and meet the standards required by the Family Law Act (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2008.
During the FDR process, parties identify and discuss issues in dispute, develop and consider options for resolution of these issues, explore the appropriateness and usefulness of these options and agree to options that are in the best interests of the child.
At the conclusion of the FDR process a written Parenting Plan is created to capture any agreements reached.
In some cases more than one joint FDR sessions is necessary to reach agreements.
Some parents may also opt to participate in parenting coordination or post separation counselling to assist them to successfully implement their Parenting Plan.
Parents may also choose to formalise the Parenting Plan and make an application for a Consent Order.
In some cases, the Practitioner may also issue a s 60I certificate, this certificate is required in most cases in order to make an application to the Court.
FAMILY LAW REPORTS
Here For You
We offer a range of services to families within the Family Court system.
Our practitioners have experience writing reports for the Court and have specialist skills in assessing matters involving: developmentally appropriate parenting arrangements, attachment, relocation, parenting capacity, parental mental-health, family violence, and other complex separation matters.
Child Impact Report
A Child Impact Report is ordered by a registrar or judge. Child Impact Reports are generally ordered at a relatively early stage of court proceedings.
The purpose of a Child Impact Report is to provide information about the experiences and needs of children in the context of the dispute before the Court. In preparing the report, consideration is given to a range of issues such as your children’s development, your children’s relationships and the presence of risk factors (such as family violence). Child Impact Reports focus on the impact these types of issues have upon children and parenting.
Family Reports
Family Reports provide an independent assessment of the issues in the case and can help the judge hearing the case to make decisions about arrangements for the child/ren. It may also help the parties reach an agreement.
In preparing the report, the practitioner considers the family’s circumstances, explores issues relevant to the case and recommends arrangements that will best meet the child/ren’s future care, welfare and developmental needs. The best interests of the child/ren are the main focus of the report.
Supervision of Orders
In some cases an Order may be made requiring compliance with the parenting order, as far as practicable, to be supervised and/or to provide the parents assistance as is reasonably requested in relation to compliance with, and the carrying out of, the parenting order. See Parenting Coordination.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to obtain information on costs, availability and professional qualifications and experience for our team.
PARENTING COORDINATION
Ongoing Support for Families
Parenting Coordination is a child centered intervention which is effective for conflicted families. Parenting Coordinators assist parents establish and maintain a healthy co-parenting relationship by reducing parental conflict and the risk factors that negatively influence a child’s post-separation adjustment. The overall emphasis of this case management approach is to support separated parents to focus parenting arrangements on the best interest of the child.