Jennifer Anderson

Jennifer Anderson practised law for over 19 years but has now chosen to focus on mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods. 

Over her 19 years of legal practice, Jennifer specialised in family and mental health law including: lawyer for child in the Family Court for 13 years and District Inspector of Mental Health for approximately 12 years. 

Jennifer has been a New Zealand Law Society then Resolution Institute Accredited Mediator since 2011.  Current areas of mediation practice include: family, education and workplace/interpersonal issues. 

Jennifer works with families/caregivers under the FDR model to help them develop child-focused solutions and to improve communication and collaboration between parents/caregivers. She is “Voice of Child” under the FDR model.

Also, Jennifer is employed part-time at the University of Otago as the “Manager, Facilitation and Mediation” mostly working with staff, and also students, to help resolve interpersonal conflict and to improve communication. Her role also includes facilitation with teams and research collaborations.

In 2015, she trained and then worked for a number of years as a Restorative Justice Facilitator in the criminal justice sector. She is keen to develop the use of restorative practices.

Jennifer has a strong interest in mediation and other alternative dispute resolution processes. What she particularly enjoys is creative problem-solving and working alongside people to help them achieve outcomes that are realistic, constructive and sustainable.