Very little is known about the use by family law specialists of primary dispute resolution (PDR) methods outside of the Family Court. Relatively little is known about what methods these lawyers use to resolve cases, the frequency of usage of PDR and the reasons why this is so. As part of a 2003 survey of NSW Accredited Specialists in Family Law entitled "Aspects of Contemporary Family Law Practice", data was collected about: the frequency of use of PDR outside of the Family Court; settlement rates by reference to PDR process and time; perceptions as to use of alternatives to adjudication; potential use of private conciliation; and perceptions of benefits of PDR by reference to current caseload. This paper will, for the first time, present these findings and then explore the implications of the same from a legal, policy and practice framework.