Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Plan for managing a court-directed DSCV mediation assessment and mediation in a Victorian personal safety intervention order case.
When should this fork be used?: Use this fork when a Magistrates' Court of Victoria magistrate or registrar directs the parties to attend a mediation assessment and, if suitable, participate in mediation under Section 26 of the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic). This guide helps the practitioner manage the statutory referral to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV), monitor assessment certificates, and formalise resolution agreements.
| Field | Token | Type | Required | Defined in |
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| Matter numberⓘ | matter.matterNumber | |||
What does a mediation certificate tell the Court?: Where the Court has directed mediation and the matter has been assessed as suitable, the mediation provider must issue a mediation certificate by the next return date stating, for example, whether mediation has been scheduled, whether a party did not attend, whether the matter settled in whole or in part, or whether it is no longer appropriate for mediation (s 30 Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010). The Court may take the certificates and a party's lack of attendance into account when making orders (s 33).
How is a PSIO application withdrawn after mediation?: A party seeking to withdraw an application must file a written notice of withdrawal, which the registrar serves on the respondent, or make an oral application if attending court (r 4.08 Magistrates' Court (Personal Safety Intervention Orders) Rules 2021). The Court's Form PSIO3 explains that the application is not withdrawn until a judicial officer orders it at a hearing, and that any interim order continues until then.
Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court of Victoria. Governed by sections 24 to 34 of the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic) and Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) operational guidelines.
The Process at a Glance: Upon receiving a court direction under section 26, the practitioner diaries key mediation assessment timelines. The practitioner prepares a referral brief for the DSCV Dispute Assessment Officer (DAO) and prepares the client for the suitability assessment. If the DAO issues a Section 28 Mediation Assessment Certificate declaring the matter suitable, the parties participate in a structured mediation session. If mediation is successful, a section 30 Mediation Certificate is issued and the practitioner lodges consent orders or a notice of withdrawal to finalise. If mediation is unsuitable or unsuccessful, the practitioner retrieves the unsuitability certificate and re-lists the matter for trial.
Key Legislation and Case Law: Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic) - Section 26 (mediation directions), Section 28 (assessment certificate), Section 30 (mediation certificate), Section 31 (mediator termination), and Section 33 (evidentiary impact of certificates). Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) Guideline 9.2 governs mediation unsuitability and exemption factors, including power imbalances and stalking.
* Disclaimer: We're nobody's lawyer, because we aren't lawyers. You are, so you know better than to take legal advice from an app. We also aren't accountants or dog trainers - just digital spirit guides taking zero liability for any of this. This site exists to gather the collective knowledge of practitioners like you. Verify everything and submit your feedback on the Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIO) - Private Applicant - DSCV Mediation Pathway matter plan to improve the playbook. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, it's a request for input.
This legal matter plan provides a structured workflow for Family Law cases, outlining the standard Protective Order Application process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
| text |
| Required |
inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter title | matter.title | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter typeⓘ | matter.matterType | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter status | matter.status | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Client(1) | ||||
| Client name | matter.clientName | text | Required | inheritedmatter-core |
Complete initial screening and verify safety.
Attempt to resolve interpersonal dispute in good faith.
Retrieve s 30 certificate and resolve case.
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