Fee updates for counselling and family dispute resolution
Changes to our counselling and family dispute resolution fees
Effective 30 October 2026, fees for Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) counselling and family dispute resolution (FDR) services have increased.
Our fees for these services have not increased for more than 10 years. During this time, the cost of delivering our services has increased significantly, including the costs of operating our centres, maintaining secure technology, meeting compliance requirements and supporting our staff. While we receive government funding, this does not cover all the costs associated with delivering these services. The updated fees will help us continue providing high-quality, effective and accessible services.
A cancellation fee of 50% of your appointment fee will also apply when an appointment is cancelled or rescheduled less than 24 business hours before the appointment start time.
We understand that changes to fees will impact our clients. We have given careful consideration to the fees updates, with accessibility and affordability in mind.
Important note: This information and the current ‘RAV Fee Schedule - FDR and Counselling’ replace any previous advice about fees, including information contained in older brochures, forms, webpages, emails, or other documents.
The updated fees will apply to appointments from 30 October 2026. You can view the new Fee Schedule below.
If you have questions or concerns about the fee changes or how they may affect you, please speak with our centre staff or contact us at feedback@rav.org.au.
Frequently asked questions about fees for counselling and FDR services
We review our fees periodically to help keep our services affordable and sustainable. This increase reflects the rising costs of providing our services. Our fees remain substantially subsidised by government funding.
Most fees are increasing by approximately 5%. We have also updated the income ranges used to calculate our fees and have increased our maximum fee to reflect changes in Australian incomes over the past decade. If you are on a higher income, you may notice that your fee has increased by more than 5%. The fee you pay will depend on the service you use and, where applicable, your individual or family income. Our staff can let you know what fee applies to you.
When an appointment is missed or cancelled at short notice, we may not be able to offer that time to someone else. Cancellation fees encourage clients to give us enough notice so we can make appointments available to others.
We send clients SMS reminders 7 days and 2 days before appointments to help with this.
If you miss your appointment without cancelling, you will be charged a fee equal to 50% of your scheduled appointment fee.
An invoice for 50% of your scheduled appointment fee will be added to your account. You can pay it by any of our usual methods of payment (phone, bank transfer, credit card). If you have provided your credit card details, we will charge the cancellation fee to your credit card. We will contact you about any fees owing. The fee is to be paid before your next appointment.
Any current hardship fee arrangements will remain in place for the agreed number of sessions. After that, the new Fee Schedule will apply. If you need financial assistance after this time, please talk to us.
The updated Fee Schedule applies to third or subsequent appointments for FDR at Family Relationship Centres that RAV operates. Fees for first and second appointments for FDR at Family Relationship Centres that RAV operates have not changed.
You can find information about our fees, including our current Fee Schedule at the top of this page.
We ask all clients to make a financial contribution towards the cost of their counselling and FDR services, based on their individual circumstances.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please talk to a member of staff and we can discuss payment options.
Unpaid fees must be paid before further appointments are booked. We may not be able to provide services if you have outstanding fees.
If you are having difficulty paying your fees, please talk to us so we are aware of your circumstances and can discuss payment options with you.
