Parenting Agreements and Plans
Supporting Families with Practical, Child-Focused Outcomes
What our Parenting Services can Help With?
Our parenting process provides a respectful space for separated parents to work through:
Living arrangements and routines (who the children live with and changeover)
Schooling and education decisions
Healthcare and medical needs
Communication between parents and with the children
Travel, holidays, and special occasions
Decision-making responsibilities
Introducing new partners or blended family dynamics
Arrangements for how your children will be financially supported
Interim arrangements
Any other aspect of parenting that matters to your family
What is a Parenting Plan?
A Parenting Plan is a written agreement created by both parents that sets out the practical arrangements for their children.
A Parenting Plan may include:
Care arrangements
Holidays and special occasions
Extracurricular activities
Agreements on communication, updates and flexibility
Travel
Methods for resolving future disagreements
Agreements around parenting values or approaches
It provides clarity and consistency for both parents and children and helps reduce misunderstandings. While not legally binding, your agreements can be made into Consent Orders by agreement if needed, without needing to go to court.
Why Choose Assent
Flexible Solutions
Our process empowers you to shape your child’s future, avoiding court-imposed decisions. It places you at the centre of the process, enabling you to make choices that work for your family's unique circumstances.
Reduced Conflict
Effective communication fostered by mediation can lead to reduced conflict between parents, creating a more stable environment for the children.
Your co-parenting relationship continues to exist after your agreements are made.
Child-Centred Approach
Your children’s needs remain at the heart of every conversation, encouraging decisions that prioritise their wellbeing and keep their best interests in focus.
We're not here to be a mouthpiece for each side we’re here to guide a constructive path to your keep your children’s best interests firmly in focus.
Legally Informed, Cost-Saving
We stay up to date with changes to Family Law (including recent updates as at May and June 2025.
We help clients save thousands in legal fees and avoid the drawn-out back-and-forth that can come with lawyer-led negotiations.
Save time and expense compared to writing legal letters back and forth or the lengthy and costly court process.
Qualified and Experienced
With formal qualifications and years of hands-on experience, we provide professional, supportive, and effective mediation services. Our mediators are skilled in managing conflict, restoring balance, and keeping your matter on track even when emotions run high.
Not a Triage Service
At Assent, you won’t be passed from one person to the next. All of our team members are employed, trained in the Assent approach, and committed to delivering a consistent, high-quality service.
Unlike services that simply allocate work to external contractors who share a website, we offer a personalised and connected experience with a dedicated team member who’s with you from start to finish.
Collaborative Decision-Making
Work together in a guided process. You and the other parent collaborate, fostering transparent discussions and collective decisions, ultimately leading to agreements that suit you both find acceptable.
Keeping the Future in Mind
We understand that separation doesn't end when the paperwork does. Our approach helps preserve the foundation for future shared moments, graduations, birthdays, weddings, and beyond, by keeping the process respectful, constructive, and focused on outcomes.
What is Family Dispute Resolution (FDR)?
Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is a specialised form of mediation under the Family Law Act 1975, designed to help separated or separating families resolve parenting disputes without going to court. It must be facilitated by an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) and is the only process that can issue a Section 60I Certificate - a requirement before applying to the Family Court for Parenting Orders.
FDR offers a practical, child-focused pathway for resolving conflict. With the guidance of an impartial mediator, parents can discuss and agree on key matters relating to their children's care, well-being, and future - outside of the courtroom and without adversarial legal processes.
Do I Need a Section 60I Certificate?
You only need a Section 60I Certificate if you're applying to the Family Court for parenting orders. Under Australian law, parents must make a genuine attempt at FDR before going to court - except in urgent or high-risk circumstances.
If mediation is unsuccessful or deemed inappropriate, our FDRPs are qualified to issue a Section 60I Certificate, allowing the matter to proceed legally if necessary.
Many families are able to resolve matters through mediation and avoid court altogether. All Assent mediators are accredited FDR practitioners registered with the Attorney General’s Department and able to provide certificates when required.
Already Heading to Court?
It’s Not Too Late
Wherever you are in your journey, Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) remains available as an option, even if legal proceedings are underway. If you reach an agreement through mediation, you can formalise it into official orders, bypassing the need for court involvement and maintaining decision-making control.
Choosing to proceed through the courts can often lead to mandatory mediation, intensifying costs, stress, and delays in the process.
We’re here to help you reach meaningful, child-focused agreements while minimising conflict and avoiding unnecessary legal battles. Starting early puts you in the driver’s seat and keeps the focus on what matters most: your children. Contact us to learn how we can support you.
We’re Here to Help
At Assent Group, we offer a child-focused, respectful, and solution-oriented mediation process. We support parents to communicate better, reduce conflict, and build parenting arrangements that support the long-term wellbeing of their children.
Contact us today to find out how we can support your family.