That one party refused to attend;
Since 2006 it is compulsory for parties in parenting proceedings to attend Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) with an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) before starting Court proceedings for parenting orders.
The Family Law Act 1975 requires that parties make a genuine effort to resolve their dispute themselves before approaching the Court as a last resort.
After you attend FDR, and should you wish to litigate in the Court, you can request to be issued what is known as a section 60I Certificate.
The Certificate (subject to some exceptions) is must be filed with your Court paper work and records the following participation outcomes:
Sometimes FDR can be child inclusive.