Case studies

Case studies are a great opportunity to learn. In this case study, after a two-year delay, the design and contract for a building project were no longer fit for purpose. Fair Way was approached by the builder, who had incurred significant additional costs during the building project.

Sometimes it is easy to reach agreement on the surface, but harder to voice the underlying issues. In this case study, a Fair Way mediator assists an Asian family to explore below the surface.

Rob was not getting along with his colleague Marie. Their personalities clashed and it seemed like any simple work discussion turned into a debate. Rob didn’t know what to do – he did not want to work with Marie anymore and started looking at other opportunities.

In this case study, a teenage daughter had strong opinions about her desired living arrangements. Her parents had separated and moved to either sides of a large city. Dad wanted to move to a structured 50/50 care arrangement, and Mum wanted a more flexible arrangement where their daughter had a say in when and where she stayed.

Ava attended weekly meetings with senior leaders. Her manager asked her to leave parts of the meeting sometimes, and this frustrated her. Ava felt she was not being trusted or valued.

With over 80 mediators around New Zealand, Fair Way can find the right fit for each family. In this case study, an experienced mediator used a hui-a-whānau approach for parents of a young child who were referred to Family Dispute Resolution by Oranga Tamariki.

Jeff had been criticised by his manager. He felt he was being ‘managed out’ and described the manager’s style as ‘bully like’. Jeff didn’t know what to do as the issue involved a manager.

Maia liked her colleague, but he made inappropriate comments occasionally. When she called him out on it, he laughed it off. However, those comments stayed with Maia and made her uncomfortable.

“What I really enjoy about Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is the difference you can make to families. People come to us, sometimes with a very emotional mindset and it’s very satisfying to see them move forward,” says mediator Isabel Aldiss.