To assist parties to reach an agreement the Family Law Act, and Rules of Court impose on the parties a responsibility to explore alternatives to litigation before such proceedings are commenced.  Those requirements include:-

1. Provision to the parties of a copy of the Court's Central Practice Direction which outlines the core principles applicable to family law proceedings
2. That each party make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute before filing an application to start proceedings, and only if it is safe to do so:-
   1. Give a copy of the pre-action proceedings to the other party.
   2. Make enquiries about the Family Dispute Resolution Services available.
   3. Invite the other party to participate in Family Dispute Resolution.
   4. Give the other party written notice of an intention to start proceedings.