Mediation | Brisbane Mediation Services
PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS
Professional, Confidential Mediation Services in Brisbane
Mediation offers a unique opportunity for a path forward when there’s a dispute. It gives parties the chance to be heard, to speak openly, and to work together toward a solution that reflects mutual understanding.
Vocare Law provides professional mediation services for individuals, teams, and organisations across Brisbane seeking to resolve disputes and achieve positive outcomes through respectful dialogue.
With Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) experience, we help parties reach practical agreements in a safe, constructive environment. Our accredited mediators offer clear guidance and a steady presence throughout the process.
Who We Work With in Brisbane
Our services support a full range of legal and organisational matters for clients across Brisbane, including:
- Committee breakdowns
- Personality or values clashes
- Ethical disagreements
- Role clarity or boundary disputes
Our team brings broad experience across a range of industries and can assist with a variety of matters, including:
- Employment disputes
- Workplace conflict
- Governance and succession issues
- Mission or values misalignment
Our Mediation Methods
We offer a range of mediation formats to meet the needs of Brisbane clients:
- In-Person Mediation – attending mediation in the same room can encourage trust, clarity, and a deeper level of engagement for the parties involved. You can meet face-to-face at our Brisbane office or at a neutral location agreed upon by both parties.
- Online Mediation – we offer secure video conferencing. For those who prefer or require remote attendance, this option enables productive discussions from any location.
- Hybrid Mediation – a flexible mix of in-person and online sessions is ideal for clients with conflicting schedules or when only certain participants can meet physically.
- Shuttle Mediation – when it’s unsafe or unhelpful for both parties to be in the same room, we act as a neutral intermediary. We work separately with each party to explore options and work toward an agreement.
- Faith-Based Mediation – for those seeking a Christian approach to conflict resolution in Brisbane, we offer faith-informed mediation grounded in biblical principles of reconciliation, justice, humility, and grace. It’s a space to address both the practical and spiritual aspects of a dispute, supporting outcomes aligned with your values.
Our Brisbane Mediation Team
Our Brisbane team brings deep mediation experience and legal expertise to every matter.
Fran Keyes
Practice Leader
Fran is a senior and well-respected Lawyer, Nationally Accredited Mediator and registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
Fran previously worked for Vocare Law, from 2018 to 2020, as a special counsel in our employment and schools team. In October 2022, Fran returned to Vocare to lead our employment and discrimination practice. Between 2020 and 2022, Fran widened her experience at a national law practice, was conferred with dual mediation accreditation, and established her own legal and mediation practice. Fran’s decision to return to Vocare was based on enduring personal and professional connections with our people and the clients we serve.
Alistair Macpherson
Managing Director
Alistair Macpherson is an Australian Legal Practitioner. He was admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in 2001 and has experience in the ACT, NSW and QLD jurisdictions.
Alistair has been employed as a legal adviser and solicitor by a number of government organisations, such as:
- Department of Defence
- Australian Federal Police
- Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
Our Mediation Process
The mediation process generally follows these key steps:
- Initial Contact: A confidential intake session to understand your matter and assess suitability for mediation.
- Agreement to Mediate: All parties sign a written document outlining the mediation structure, confidentiality provisions, and scope.
- Pre-Mediation Preparation: We speak with you and the other party individually to clarify goals, prepare for discussions, and identify potential points of common ground. You may also nominate a support person to assist you during this stage or the mediation session itself.
- Mediation Session(s): Our mediator facilitates a thoughtful dialogue, either in joint sessions or shuttle format, to help parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
- Outcome: Where resolution is reached, we help draft a formal agreement or mediation agreement. This gives both parties clarity and ownership over their own agreement, rather than having terms imposed by a third party.
- Follow-Up: If needed, we provide debriefs, check-ins, or guidance on implementing the agreement.
Why Choose Mediation
Mediation is an effective form of conflict resolution that allows parties to address issues privately, flexibly, and with greater control, often avoiding the time, strain, and complexity that comes with a formal legal process. Brisbane clients turn to mediation because it offers:
- Confidentiality: Keep sensitive matters out of the public eye and away from formal court proceedings
- Efficiency: Full-day mediations and focused sessions help resolve issues in weeks, not years
- Cost-effectiveness: Mediation is often significantly more affordable than litigation
- Preservation of relationships: Especially vital where ongoing collaboration is needed
- Control over outcomes: Parties work toward a mutually acceptable agreement that meets everyone’s needs
In some cases, outcomes can be made enforceable by a court order, particularly when they involve children.
FAQs – Brisbane Mediation
Yes. We can attend your Brisbane site or arrange a neutral venue nearby. Where appropriate, mediation may also occur in separate rooms.
Most mediations are resolved in a half or full-day session. Complex matters may require additional sessions.
Absolutely. We offer flexible arrangements, including online and hybrid formats for Brisbane and regional clients.
While our mediators are qualified legal professionals, they act as neutral facilitators during mediation. If legal advice is needed, we can refer you internally or suggest you seek independent legal advice before signing any agreement.
Where parties reach consensus, we can assist in documenting the agreement. In appropriate cases, this may be formalised into a legally binding court order.
Fees vary based on the length and complexity of the matter. Contact us directly for a clear, confidential quote with no hidden costs.
Advice You Can Trust
We offer customised professional legal services tailored to meet our clients’ needs. Our values are service, care and excellence. Our people are our strength. We nurture them by creating a healthy team environment which encourages them to make positive contributions in delivering our legal services. Our communities are missions focused. We exercise our generosity by making contributions at a local, national and international level.
