About Us

Kathleen Dare

Kathleen is a highly experienced mediator and lawyer and is passionate about assisting people resolve their disputes. Kathleen established Dare to Mediate in 2024. Kathleen has extensive mediation experience in areas including Family Law and civil disputes, Estate litigation, Guardianship and Administration.

Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia in 1990, Kathleen is an Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and holds a Masters in Law.

In addition to her mediation practice Kathleen has worked as a lawyer for highly regarded law firms predominately in areas of family, criminal, domestic violence and estate and civil litigation at all levels.

Kathleen has also worked as a legal member of both the Guardianship and Administration Tribunal and the Mental Health Review Tribunal and has a special interest in mental health and capacity issues and has spent many years working and providing pro bono legal advice at community legal centres in Queensland.

Kathleen is a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner with the Attorney General’s Department and can issue Section 60I Certificates.

Professional Memberships:

  • Queensland Law Society
  • AMDRAS accredited mediator
  • Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
  • Family Law Practitioner’s Association
  • Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia

Kathleen is committed to assisting parties to avoid the court process by engaging in alternative dispute resolution. Her mediation practice is informed by her experience of witnessing how negatively court proceedings can have on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Kathleen brings empathy, a deep knowledge of law, assisting the parties to navigate options for resolution and enable them to move on with their lives. She is committed to assisting parties to regain control by avoiding the expense, stress and uncertainty of a court determined process.

Client Testimonials

Excellent service provided.

Very thorough, clear, realistic and precise.

Very professional and providing me with the information to weigh up my options and move forward.

Kathleen can manage various parties in a dispute with a calm and considerate and respectful manner, while maintaining control of the process.

Kathleen engages parties in a fair and balanced manner, showing respect and concern for all of the participants. She has extensive experience in understanding the conflicts that lead to difficult protracted disputes and always has endorsed mediation as essential for early dispute resolution.

Kathleen exercises her role in a natural manner, putting participants at ease whilst maintaining their respect.

Kathleen has always impressed me as a considerate and insightful person who has demonstrated her ability to act impartially and with the highest ethical standards in her professional and personal life.