You will have a confidential meeting with a mediator and the opposing party to form an agreement resolving your case on your court date. Each party will have the opportunity to ...

Yes. Mediation requires participation by the primary parties in the case who have authority to make decisions, whether for an individual or a company.

If the second party does not appear in court, the Judge will handle your case.

The Judges understand that parties with a mediated agreement typically leave the courthouse more satisfied than those who have received a trial, so please speak up if you are interested in ...

Pro se refers to litigants who are not represented in court by an attorney. All Small Claims cases in Virginia are pro se: individuals present their case directly to the Judge ...

Fairfax Small Claims Court: A Mediation Coordinator will give an introduction before the 9:30am court starting time. You may request mediation from the coordinator at this time. If both parties in ...

When a Judge refers you to mediation, you are required to attend only the orientation portion of the session, when the mediator describes the process, confidentiality guidelines, agreement to mediate and ...

Northern Virginia Mediation Service mediates other cases in our office. If you are interested in mediating your court case before your court date or in a court not listed above, visit ...

Court mediation results in agreements in approximately 65% of the cases. Those who do not reach agreement still benefit from the process by understanding their case better in preparation for trial ...

Agreement and Continuance: The parties reach an agreement and request that the court set a later trial date to allow them time to complete the actions detailed in the agreement. If ...

There are official avenues to pursue if a party fails to comply with a signed, mediated agreement. The agreement is seen as a contract by the courts and you may pursue ...

The plaintiff, or suing party, may gain several benefits from participation in mediation: 1. Opportunity to resolve your dispute with confidentiality and personal involvement in the decision-making process; 2. Opportunity to ...

The defendant, or party answering a claim and court summons, may gain several benefits from participation in mediation: 1. Opportunity to resolve your dispute with confidentiality and personal involvement in the ...

No. The Commonwealth of Virginia strictly forbids mediators from giving legal advice to parties in mediation while acting as their mediator. This supports neutrality and fairness in the facilitation of your ...