AFTER 10 years as the only registrar at the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court in Canberra, Debra Parker has moved back into private practice with the objective of keeping her clients out of court.

With about 40 to 50 divorces each week in the Federal Circuit Court in Canberra, she saw first hand the benefits of settling outside court.

“Settling outside court is not only cost effective but it allows the client to retain control over their outcome, there is an opportunity to work through issues and to get a result they approve of,” she says.

“There are intangible benefits as well, it gives children comfort knowing their parents aren’t fighting anymore.

“A break-up can be a vulnerable and scary time and people want to know what their rights are in order to re-establish their lives.

“Every case is different and has its own challenges, as a mediator and resolution expert I meet clients, identify what they want to achieve and give them advice on how to get there.”

Ms Parker says she hopes to assist clients to resolve the division of property and to reach an agreement about the amount of time children spend with parents without resorting to court proceedings, but also to advise clients if court is necessary.

“There is now more emphasis on ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), which has become a compulsory step before court and I am pleased to see it growing,” she says.

“I was always in favour of this during the early part of my career and I had a reputation for mediating before court. I regard myself as a pioneer in mediation,” she says.

“I was admitted to practice in 1984 until I resigned in 1997 and I have missed the relationships with clients. I had to be impartial as a registrar and not give the client confidential advice”.

During her time as a registrar from 2005, Ms Parker’s quasi-judicial role meant that she presided in court in procedural matters, made orders about case management and mediated with litigants outside of court.

“I’m really proud of my record in assisting courts to settle and I had a high success rate,” she says.

“My work was gratifying, but after 10 years it felt like the right time to move.

“Opportunities as a partner don’t come up that often,” she says of her new role as a mediator and resolution expert at Watts McCray’s Canberra office.