Glossary

The Act defines marriage as 'the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life'.

Mediation is a structured negotiation process in which an independent person, known as a mediator, assists the parties to identify and assess options and negotiate an agreement to resolve their dispute.

this may be the first or subsequent time a case is heard at court. Usually the parties first contact with the court, where the judicial officer will give directions to the parties about the steps required to proceed a matter to final hearing.