Civil matters with claims in excess of $50,000.00, or other contested civil matters including probate cases, may be referred to mediation by a judge or by agreement of the parties involved.
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Mediation is a confidential process by which a neutral mediator, selected by the parties or appointed by the court, assists the litigants in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. The role of the mediator is to assist in identifying the issues, reducing misunderstanding, clarifying priorities, exploring areas of compromise, and finding points of agreement as well as legitimate points of disagreement.
Any agreement reached by the parties is to be based on the autonomous decisions of the parties and not the decisions of the mediator. It is anticipated that an agreement may not resolve all of the disputed issues, but the process can reduce points of contention.
