Mediation

NSW, Queensland and Victoria all have free mediation services and they may be available in other states as well, if you can't resolve a problem, before you engage lawyers, contact the service in your state and attempt to get the NFH into a mediation session, if the NFH invites you to mediation accept the offer, never refuse mediation.The only circumstance you should not have to mediate is if there is a history of violence with yourself or your family and the NFH.

The advantage of mediation is that you get a referee of sorts, you have probably found that in trying to communicate with the NFH they have talked over the top of you and interjected to the point that you were unable to complete a meaningful sentence and when they heard something they didn't like they were rude and/or shouted at you, that sort of thing. The aim of mediation is to give everybody an opportunity to be heard in a supervised and safe environment; the level playing field, fair go thing. Be aware that it is not alway s successful and the NFH with a personality disorder can make it an absolute wast of time for all concerned but it is worth trying for a number of reasons.

1. It might work and you might resolve you dispute.

2. You might get to finish a sentence and you may even get the NFH to listen to something you have to say.

3. If you end up in court seeking AVOs, restraining orders and the like the court may order you into mediation whether you like it or not before they will hear your case.

4. If you get a mediated settlement and you end up in court at a later date it is not a good look for the person who broke the agreement.

In NSW mediated agreements are not legally binding, they are only as good as the people who make them. In Queensland you have an option to make them legally binding.

Queensland and Victoria have dispute resolution programs run by the Department of Justice that can deal with disputes between neighbours, while in New South Wales, help can be sought through a Community Justice Centre.