Dr Amelia Haines is a nationally accredited mediator, a medical doctor and a therapist with more than twenty years of clinical experience. Amelia brings her therapist knowledge to the mediation room, which helps her hold the room well when emotions are high. Neighbours, colleagues, business partners and family members find this to be a valuable part of Amelia’s mediation sessions.
Mediation can be faster and less expensive than resolving a dispute through lawyers or the courts.
When a dispute has stalled, mediation gives both sides a structured conversation with someone impartial in the room. The role of the mediator is to keep the discussion productive so the people involved can reach their own agreement.
Disputes Dr Haines Mediates
Neighbour And Community Disputes
Fences, noise, trees, access, shared driveways, and ongoing friction between residents or community groups.
Workplace Conflict
Disputes between colleagues, between a manager and a team member, or within a small business or partnership.
Wills, Estates And Inheritance
Disagreements between family members about an estate, executor decisions, or the care of an ageing parent.
Family And Separation Disputes
Dividing assets and sorting out finances after a separation, and long-running conflict between siblings, adult children and parents, or extended family.
If you’re not sure whether your situation fits, email admin and ask. It’s a short conversation and there’s no cost to find out.
About Dr Haines As A Mediator
Dr Haines is accredited under the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS), the national framework that replaced the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS) in 2025. She trained through and is a member of the Resolution Institute, and appears on the national register of accredited mediators.
Alongside her mediation practice she has worked for over two decades as a doctor, therapist and coach, much of it with people navigating conflict, grief, illness and relationship breakdown. She is used to sitting with difficult conversations and keeping them safe.
Fees And What’s Included
Mediation is charged at $250 per hour. A standard two-party mediation is made up of a private initial session with each party, followed by a joint session of at least three hours.
A private one-hour conversation to understand your position and check that mediation is the right fit.
Both parties together with Dr Haines. Billed as a three-hour minimum.
Charged only if you both agree to keep going.
Two initial sessions plus the three-hour joint session.
Fees are usually shared between the parties, though you’re welcome to agree a different split between yourselves.
Cancellations. A $600 fee applies if a booked mediation is cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice. Mediation sessions hold a long block of time that can’t be filled at short notice, which is why the fee is substantial.
How It Works
What Dr Haines Can’t Help With
Dr Haines is not a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP). She cannot issue section 60I certificates, and she does not take on children’s or parenting matters.
If you need a section 60I certificate before applying to court for parenting orders, you’ll need a registered FDRP instead. The Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321 can point you to one.
Frequently Asked Questions
▸ How much does mediation cost?
$250 per hour, excluding GST. A standard two-party mediation is $1,250 as a minimum: $250 for each party’s initial private session, plus $750 for the three-hour joint session. Any time beyond three hours is $250 per hour. Fees are usually shared between the parties.
▸ Can Dr Haines issue a section 60I certificate?
No. Section 60I certificates can only be issued by a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, and Dr Haines is not registered as one. She also does not take on children’s or parenting matters. If you need a certificate to apply for parenting orders, call the Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321 to find a registered FDRP.
▸ Do both parties have to agree to mediation?
Yes. Mediation only works if everyone takes part voluntarily. One party can make the first enquiry, but the other has to agree before anything is booked.
▸ How long does the whole process take?
Most matters are done inside a few weeks. The two initial sessions are usually held first, then the joint session once both parties are ready. Many disputes resolve in a single joint session.
▸ Where do sessions take place?
Sessions are held at Dr Haines’ Sydney practice. There’s no separate venue cost. Online sessions can be arranged where that suits both parties better.
▸ What if I need to cancel?
Let admin know as early as you can. A $600 fee applies to cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice, because the time held for the session can’t be filled at short notice.
Start A Conversation
All mediation bookings and enquiries go through admin. Send a short outline of the dispute and who’s involved, and we’ll let you know whether it’s something Dr Haines can help with.
Email admin@ameliahaines.com.au
