Learning from down under: A call to create Australian style family relationship centers for separating families in the United States

Australia's Family Relationship Centres (FRCs) are a bold innovation in dispute resolution for separating families. Beginning in 2006, the Australian Government created 65 FRCs which provide free or low‐cost mediation, triage, information, counseling and education designed to reduce conflict and stabilize relationships between separating parents and between separating parents and children. FRCs are based in the communities they serve in a location separate from the courthouse. Australia created the FRCs at approximately the same time it enacted a presumptive mandate that separating parents attempt mediation before filing an application to the court concerning their children. Empirical evaluations of FRCs establish they are achieving their goals. FRCs and the mediation mandate have changed the culture in Australia surrounding dispute resolution for separating families from thinking of their disputes as a legal problem to thinking of them as the product of relationship issues. This article argues that creation of FRCs in the United States combined with a mediation mandate would have a similar positive impact on separating parents, children, courts and communities here and makes suggestions for how such a project could be organized and funded.