Mediation and ADR
Indigent party
A party a court finds unable to pay court costs or fees. Florida's court-ordered mediation programs charge no mediation fee to a party found indigent.[1]
In more detail
Florida's statute says mediation and arbitration should be open to everyone, whatever their finances.[1] In court-ordered nonbinding arbitration, Florida may pay part or all of an indigent party's arbitrator fees from state funds, with a repayment plan.[2] Other courts offer free or sliding-fee programs or fee waivers.
Varies by state
Fee rules and who qualifies as indigent differ by state and program. Find your state’s rules.
Related terms
- Sliding fee scaleA fee that goes down for people with lower incomes.
- Mediator feesWhat a mediator or mediation program charges.
- Fee waiverCourt permission to file papers without paying the usual court fees, for people who can't afford them.
Read next on MediationList
Sources
The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.
General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Cite this page
MediationList. (2026, October 28). Indigent party: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/indigent-party/
APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.