Clifton James Covington
On the official roster: Florida Dispute Resolution Center (Florida Supreme Court) · verified 2026-10-06
Small claims & county court mediators in DeSoto County, FL
1 small claims & county court mediators listed in DeSoto County from official Florida rosters, each with its official source.
How does mediation work in DeSoto County?
DeSoto County belongs to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, whose Family Mediation Program supplies Florida Supreme Court certified family mediators for open court cases in DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties [1]. A session can only be set after a judge signs an Order of Referral, and both parties must file current financial affidavits before one will be issued [2]. DeSoto litigants are asked to contact the program directly, by calling the Bradenton office at (941) 749-3654, rather than booking online, and first sessions are held by Zoom unless the notice says otherwise [2]. Fees follow Fla. Stat. § 44.108: $60 per party per session under $50,000 combined income, $120 from $50,000 to $100,000 [3]. The circuit's free Citizen Dispute Settlement Program also offers pre-filing family mediation [4]. Certified private mediators who take DeSoto cases are listed below.
- Twelfth Judicial Circuit – Family Mediation Services
- Twelfth Judicial Circuit – Family Mediation Requirements (AO 2015-8.2)
- Fla. Stat. § 44.108 (2025), Funding of mediation and arbitration
- Twelfth Judicial Circuit – Citizen Dispute Settlement Program
Fact-checked 2026-10-06. Court programs change; confirm with the clerk.
Open to meeting by video? Mediators who work online with Florida clients · Online mediators
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Only a few listed mediators have DeSoto County as their home county. Many also work in neighboring counties or meet online.
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Mediators who work online with Florida clients
No mediator from another state has told us they work online with Florida clients in this practice area yet. Local mediators may also offer video sessions; ask when you contact them.
Court-ordered case? Courts may require a mediator from their own approved list for court-ordered cases. Check your court’s rules, or see how mediation works in Florida.
Court-connected mediation in Florida: Florida statute has each circuit keep a list of Florida Supreme Court-certified mediators registered there for court appointments in civil, family and dependency cases. Whether parties may agree on a non-certified mediator was not confirmed.
Private mediation in Florida: No state license for private mediators was found in the Florida statutes reviewed; Supreme Court certification is tied to court-ordered mediation. No rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.
Sources: Fla. Stat. § 44.102, Court-ordered mediation (Online Sunshine) · Fla. Stat. § 44.1011, Definitions (Online Sunshine) · Unlicensed Practice - Formal Advisory Opinions, The Florida Bar · partly verified
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