Episode Show Notes

Tristan Harvey is an award-winning barrister, mediator, evaluator and part-time judge in the field of family law. He joins us, in this episode recorded in 2024, to explain the different options for non-court dispute resolution. His unique expertise, compassion and dedication to reducing conflict sing through in our conversation. Thank you, Tristan, for joining us and sharing your sought-after insights from your award-winning practice.

Here are some of the questions we asked Tristan.

1. How do you describe what mediation is and how it works?

2. When a couple begin mediation and they bring the whole range of issues – children, living arrangements, maintenance – how do you decide what order to deal with things? How do you tackle the morass of issues that walk through your door?

3. What do you encounter as the main roadblock preventing people locked in dispute from finding common ground?

4. How can that be fixed or worked through?

5. Do you think some people are incapable of compromise? Have you witnessed people change and develop as you have worked with them?

6. What do people need to bring to mediation to get the most out of it?

7. Have there been times when you have failed in following your own advice on compromise?

10. If you could change on thing about the system what would it be?

11. What is your main advice when a friend or family member goes through divorce or separation?