To practise in a court connected or publicly funded mediation service, the mediator must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills and other personal attributes as set out below.

A. Knowledge

• negotiation, conciliation, conflict management and the mediation process
• family dynamics and child development
• law pertaining to the issues being mediated including:
• • the legal steps involved in a mediation and divorce;
  • major trends in the case law relating to the issues referred to above;
  • the laws which can assist and protect clients who have been abused.
• the effects of separation and divorce on parents, children and the extended family
• in-depth understanding of the sources of power imbalances in relationships and an ability to recognize the indicators of such imbalances in their clients
• where mediation proceeds, knowledge about the techniques used to support the weaker party while remaining impartial
• indicators of domestic violence or abuse
• procedures and instruments to screen for abuse before and during mediation
• safety planning requirements and procedures for clients and staff and their limitations
• community and educational resources for referral outside or for use within the mediation process
• alternate dispute resolution options
• current public concerns regarding mediation practice
• multicultural issues in dispute resolution

B. Skills

• advanced communication and relationship skills
• advanced investigative, interviewing and assessment skills
• demonstrated case management skills
• ability to assess the degree of the power imbalance to determine whether mediation is an appropriate option
• ability to use techniques to redress power imbalances
• mediators doing comprehensive mediation must understand and be able to work with various financial documents which may be relevant in a case involving support or property issues, (e.g. court financial statements, budgets, financial statements prepared by accountants).