Mediation laws by state

Under Ala. Code § 6-6-20, mediation of a civil action is mandatory when all parties agree or any party moves for it, and the trial court may order it on its own motion. The Alabama Appellate Mediation Program (Ala. R. App. P. 55 and the Alabama Rules of Appellate Mediation) covers counseled civil appeals in the Supreme Court and Court of Civil Appeals, and several district courts run volunteer small-claims mediation programs.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found; Alabama's rule comment says parties who voluntarily mediate may pick any mediator. Rule 5.5(b)(2) allows out-of-state lawyers temporary mediation-related work; no online-mediator rule found.

Not confirmed: Alabama Civil Court Mediation Rules text on judicial.alabama.gov was not opened; rule-level details (e.g., mediator qualifications) omitted.

Alaska Civil Rule 100 lets a party ask the court for mediation once a complaint is filed, and lets the court order mediation, early neutral evaluation or a judicial settlement conference in civil cases; in child custody cases the court may order mediation during the first 30 days after a custody petition is filed (AS 25.20.080). In federal court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska handles ADR under D.Ak. L.R. 16.2 and generally provides a judge from outside the case as the neutral. The Alaska Court System's own mediation pages are disallowed to automated access and were not reviewed.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Alaska's Rule 5.5(c)(3) allows out-of-state lawyers temporary work related to mediation; no rule on online mediators in other states was found.

Not confirmed: courts.alaska.gov/mediation/ is disallowed by robots.txt and was not fetched; the Alaska Court System's own mediation programs (e.g., family mediation services, any court mediator list) are not described. Whether Alaska keeps a statewide mediator roster or certification was not confirmed. akb.uscourts.gov (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, D. Alaska) returned HTTP 403 on its local rules page; any bankruptcy mediation register was not reviewed. doa.alaska.gov returned 403 on robots.txt (state labor contracts not reviewed).

Under A.R.S. § 12-134, Arizona courts may refer cases to mediation and other ADR. Superior courts run their own programs: for example, the Superior Court in Maricopa County offers settlement conferences in civil, family and probate cases through its ADR Department, and its Conciliation Services provides parenting mediation that is often required in child-related Family Court disputes.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Arizona's practice-of-law rule covers representing others in mediation; a mediator exemption was not verified from official text. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: No statewide Arizona Judicial Branch ADR page was found (azcourts.gov/adr returned 404), so the text describes the statute and Maricopa County's programs only. Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure and Civil Procedure mediation provisions (hosted on Westlaw) were not opened. Programs in counties other than Maricopa were not reviewed.

Arkansas trial and appellate courts are directed by statute to encourage settlement by suggesting referral to a dispute resolution process, and circuit and appellate courts may order civil, juvenile, probate or domestic relations cases to mediation (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-7-202). The statewide Access and Visitation Family Mediation Program, for which the ADR Commission is the advisory body, offers mediation to parents on custody, visitation and child support.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed; Commission certification is framed as covering compensated mediators serving courts. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Directory of Certified Mediators page content is loaded by script; the listing itself was not read (linked only).

Each California superior court runs its own ADR programs for civil cases (the Judicial Branch links to each county's program), and every court must give plaintiffs an ADR information package describing its programs when a general civil complaint is filed (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.221).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. California's out-of-state attorney rule (rule 9.43) covers arbitration only; no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Family Code § 3170 (mandatory child custody mediation) could not be fetched: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov returned HTTP 403 to scripts; family custody mediation is therefore omitted. Individual county programs and mediator lists were not reviewed.

The Colorado Judicial Branch's Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR), created by the Colorado Dispute Resolution Act (C.R.S. 13-22-301 et seq.) and housed in the State Court Administrator's Office, provides mediation and other dispute resolution services in every judicial district through 60+ contract neutrals, including services for indigent parties, access and visitation, and mandatory pre-eviction mediation.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Colorado bar guidelines say nonlawyer mediators may draft settlement agreements under the Dispute Resolution Act but should avoid legal advice; no online-mediator rule found.

Not confirmed: Whether Colorado has any statewide licensing or certification of private mediators was not confirmed on an official page. C.R.S. 13-22-301 et seq. statute text was not opened; section numbers come from the ODR manual. Find-a-mediator and bios pages were found via search and linked, not opened.

The Connecticut Judicial Branch runs Judicial ADR (J-ADR, formerly court-annexed mediation), in which a Judge, Senior Judge or Judge Trial Referee conducts a settlement conference in civil cases (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-5a), plus landlord-tenant mediation for housing matters (§ 47a-69). For divorce cases, the Court Support Services Division's Family Services offers mediation/ADR on custody, visitation, property and financial issues (§§ 46b-53a, 46b-59a; Practice Book § 25-61).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found. Connecticut's Practice Book permits any person to serve as a neutral mediator; Rule 5.5(c)(3) allows out-of-state lawyers temporary mediation-related work. No online-mediator rule found.

Not confirmed: Juvenile ADR program details (section anchor present on the ADR page but no program text was found).

In Delaware Superior Court civil cases, scheduling orders set a deadline for compulsory ADR whose format the parties choose, with mediation as the default (Super. Ct. Civ. R. 16); Rule 16.1 separately provides mandatory non-binding arbitration. In Family Court, support, custody, visitation and guardianship proceedings go to a mediation conference with a Court staff mediator (Fam. Ct. Civ. R. 16.1).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Delaware's Rule 5.5(c)(3) allows out-of-state lawyers temporary mediation-related work; no rule on online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Court of Common Pleas mediation program and Court of Chancery mediation were not reviewed. Whether Delaware keeps any statewide list or qualification standard for Superior Court ADR practitioners was not confirmed. Family Court Civil Rules PDF version date not checked against later amendments.

In federal court, the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia refer cases to a free, voluntary mediation program run by the D.C. Circuit's Mediation Office under each court's local rules (District Court: Local Civil Rule 84). The D.C. Public Employee Relations Board has a mandatory mediation procedure for cases filed with it, and OSSE's Office of Dispute Resolution offers special education mediation. The D.C. Superior Court's Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division could not be reviewed because dccourts.gov blocks scripted access (HTTP 403).

Private mediators: No D.C. license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. D.C.'s unauthorized-practice rule (Rule 49) could not be read, so its treatment of out-of-state or online mediators is unverified.

Not confirmed: dccourts.gov blocks scripted access (HTTP 403); the D.C. Superior Court Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division and D.C. Court of Appeals mediation programs, case types and mediator qualifications are not confirmed and are not described in how_it_works. disb.dc.gov (foreclosure mediation) returned HTTP 403 and was not reviewed. The D.C. District Court's volunteer mediator panel is not published by name, so it is not listed.

Florida courts must refer most filed civil actions for money damages to mediation when one party requests it, may refer other civil actions, and in circuits with a family mediation program must refer disputed custody, visitation and parental responsibility issues (Fla. Stat. § 44.102). Circuits may also run dependency mediation programs, and circuit court mediation programs charge set per-session fees for family and county court mediation (Fla. Stat. § 44.108).

Private mediators: 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.

Not confirmed: www.flcourts.gov (DRC program pages, Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators) was not fetched per project rules; certification categories and training hours are omitted. § 44.108 fee facts are taken from the project's verified legal_facts.json (reviewed 2026-10-07), not re-fetched in this session.

The Hawaii State Judiciary's Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR) administers the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program for civil appeals and manages the Judiciary's purchase-of-service contract with community mediation centers, which provide volunteer mediators statewide (including small claims mediation at court). The Probate Court has a mediation program for contested probate, trust and guardianship-of-property cases.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found. Hawai'i's lawyer rule 5.5 lacks the common temporary out-of-state practice clause.

Not confirmed: Whether Hawaii has any statewide mediator certification or licensing: not stated on the Judiciary pages reviewed. Family Court custody mediation procedures (e.g., rules or statutes requiring mediation) were not reviewed. Statewide pre-filing eviction mediation program page was not opened.

Idaho trial courts may refer any civil case to mediation under Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure 37.1, and family law cases under Idaho Rules of Family Law Procedure 602 (child custody and visitation) and 603 (other family issues). Child custody and parenting-time disputes are mediated by mediators qualified under Idaho Court Administrative Rule 76.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: The roster page itself (isc.idaho.gov/administrative/...) is disallowed by robots.txt and was not fetched; its existence is confirmed by the Family Court Services page and I.R.F.L.P. 602(e). I.C.A.R. 76 qualification details were not opened.

Illinois Supreme Court Rules authorize court mediation programs: Rule 99 (Mediation Programs), Rule 99.1 (Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Programs), Rule 99.2 (Residential Eviction Mediation Programs) and Rule 905 (Mediation in child custody/allocation proceedings). Programs are run by the judicial circuits under local rules; for example, the First Judicial Circuit runs a mandatory circuit-wide mediation program for contested parental responsibility and parenting-time issues under Rule 905.

Private mediators: No statewide license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed; circuit 'certified' lists apply to court programs. No rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Rule PDFs (Rules 99, 99.1, 99.2, 905) are served from ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net, whose robots.txt request returned HTTP 401 (re-checked 2026-10-08); only the rule titles on the illinoiscourts.gov rules index were read, not the rule text (e.g., statewide mediator qualification requirements). Only Cook County and the First Judicial Circuit are described; other circuits' programs differ by local rule and were not summarized. Whether Illinois has statewide mediator certification was not confirmed.

Under the Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, a court may refer a civil or domestic relations case to mediation on its own motion or a party's motion (A.D.R. Rule 2.2). Counties may also run domestic relations ADR fund programs under Ind. Code § 33-23-6, funded by a $20 filing fee and approved by the Office of Judicial Administration.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed; registry status applies to court-referred cases. Registered civil mediators must be Indiana attorneys. No rule specific to online mediation was found.

Not confirmed: The registry search app (courtapps.in.gov/mediatorsearch) was not opened.

Iowa district courts may order mediation in any dissolution of marriage or other domestic relations action, on their own motion or a party's motion (Iowa Code § 598.7), under family-law dispute resolution programs that judicial districts implement subject to Iowa Supreme Court rules. Judicial districts publish their own family law mediation programs, and District 5 also runs probate and guardianship mediation.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Iowa's mediator conduct standards cover Iowa lawyer-mediators and court-connected mediations; no rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Iowa Supreme Court rules prescribing mediator qualifications (Iowa Court Rules) were not opened. Programs in judicial districts other than District 5 were not reviewed individually. Civil (non-family) court-connected mediation in Iowa was not reviewed.

Kansas courts may order mediation of contested child custody, residency, parenting time, property division or other issues in domestic relations cases (K.S.A. 23-3501 to 23-3506). Court-connected dispute resolution more broadly operates under the Kansas Dispute Resolution Act (K.S.A. 5-501 et seq.), administered by a Director of Dispute Resolution in the Office of Judicial Administration. Judicial Branch program pages could not be read because the Kansas Judicial Branch site blocks scripted access.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the Kansas statutes reviewed; state 'approval' is tied to court recommendation and public funding. No rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: kscourts.gov returned HTTP 403 (firewall) and was not fetched by script; the Judicial Branch's ADR office page and the Supreme Court ADR rules (Rules 901 et seq.) could not be reviewed or linked. Civil (non-family) court referral practice and local district court mediation programs were not reviewed.

Kentucky courts may refer civil cases to mediation under Civil Rule 99, and family courts may refer a case or part of a case to mediation under Family Court Rule of Practice and Procedure (FCRPP) 39, weighing case-specific factors rather than applying any blanket referral policy.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Kentucky Bar ethics opinions say mediation is not the practice of law and a mediator may help write up the agreement, but not divorce court papers.

Not confirmed: The Court of Justice's mediation program page (kycourts.gov/Court-Programs/Mediation) returned 404; AOC-run mediation services and any mediator roster were not confirmed. Order 2022-58 took effect January 1, 2023; later amendments to CR 99 or FCRPP 39 were not checked.

Under the Louisiana Mediation Act (La. R.S. 9:4101 et seq.), a court may refer a civil case to mediation on a party's motion, but the order is rescinded if any party objects within 15 days. Family-violence actions, Criminal Procedure and Children's Code matters are excluded, and child custody and visitation disputes are mediated under separate statutes (R.S. 9:332 et seq.).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Louisiana's lawyer conduct Rule 5.5(c)(3) lets out-of-state lawyers temporarily handle work tied to mediations; no rule on out-of-state or online mediators themselves was found.

Not confirmed: Louisiana Supreme Court site (lasc.org) blocked scripted access; no judiciary-run mediation program page was reviewed. Custody mediation statutes (R.S. 9:332–334) were not opened. The LSBA ADR Section's published register itself was not opened or linked.

The Maine Judicial Branch's Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (CADRES) provides mediators in small claims, eviction, family matters, debt collection and other civil cases, and certain land use disputes; the Foreclosure Diversion Program provides mediators in foreclosure cases. Non-binding arbitration (M.R. Civ. P. 16B) and early neutral evaluation are available in Superior Court civil cases only.

Private mediators: Maine's Judicial Branch states that Maine does not license or certify mediators. Roster requirements apply only to court-rostered neutrals. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found in the sources reviewed.

Not confirmed: CADRES rosters are not published as a public find-a-mediator search on the pages reviewed; assignment is through the court.

Many Maryland circuit courts refer civil non-domestic and family cases to mediators on court-approved rosters under Title 17 of the Maryland Rules, orphans' courts keep ADR rosters, and the District Court uses volunteer ADR practitioners. The Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) supports court and community ADR programs.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. A Maryland rule note says mediators may record points of agreement but should not author agreements in litigated cases. No out-of-state or online rule was found.

Not confirmed: Roster search portal (mmacro.my.site.com) is linked from MACRO pages but was not opened. Rule text itself (Westlaw-hosted) was not opened; rule numbers come from the MACRO page.

Each Massachusetts Trial Court department publishes a list of approved court-connected ADR programs (District Court, Boston Municipal Court, Housing Court, Probate and Family Court, Juvenile Court, Land Court and Superior Court). The Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration at UMass Boston (G.L. c. 75, § 46) administers the state's community mediation center grant program.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. A statute makes mediation communications confidential when the mediator has 30 hours of training plus experience or program affiliation, or is court-appointed.

Not confirmed: mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to scripts. Citations [1]-[3] rely on the text of those mass.gov pages as read in a regular browser session on 2026-10-07 (saved in data/raw/MA/ma_adr_program_lists_2026-10-07.txt and ma_probate_family_adr_programs_2026-10-07.txt), not on a scripted fetch. SJC Rule 1:18 (Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution) text was not read. Whether Massachusetts has any statewide mediator certification or roster for court referrals was not confirmed.

Michigan's Community Dispute Resolution Act (MCL 691.1551 et seq.) funds community dispute resolution centers, operated under grant contracts awarded by the State Court Administrator, to which courts may refer parties in civil actions. Circuit courts also refer cases to mediators who meet court-set qualifications; for example, the 13th Judicial Circuit requires SCAO-approved mediator training for general civil mediators it refers cases to.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. A State Bar of Michigan ethics opinion says a lawyer-mediator may not draft all the divorce papers for both parties while acting only as mediator.

Not confirmed: courts.michigan.gov disallows all crawling in robots.txt; the text of Michigan Court Rules MCR 2.411 and 3.216 and SCAO Office of Dispute Resolution pages were not read. MCR references come only from circuit courts' own mediator lists. The ODR link is listed but not opened. Only four circuits' lists were reviewed (Kent, Calhoun, Oakland, Grand Traverse); whether every circuit keeps such a list was not confirmed.

Minnesota General Rule of Practice 114 governs court-annexed ADR: all civil and family cases are subject to it, with listed exceptions (e.g., certain medical malpractice cases, Family Court Rules 303 and 310 matters, and cases excluded by statute). Parties confer on an ADR process and neutral; if they cannot agree on a process, the court orders a non-binding one.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Under the Civil Mediation Act, a paid mediator gives parties a written statement of qualifications before starting. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: mncourts.gov returned HTTP 403 to scripts and was not fetched; Judicial Branch ADR program pages not reviewed. The roster site adrroster.courts.state.mn.us is listed as a link only; it was not fetched (bot protection noted in project notes).

Under the Mississippi Supreme Court's Court Annexed Mediation Rules for Civil Litigation, any circuit, chancery or county court may refer a civil case to mediation on its own motion or a party's motion, but may order a case to mediation only once.

Private mediators: No state license or registration for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule specific to out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: The Mississippi Bar mediators directory was not fetched (project notes: robots.txt disallows the search); listed as a link only. Family/chancery-specific mediation programs beyond the civil rules were not reviewed.

In custody and visitation cases, Missouri courts may order the parties into an alternative dispute resolution program under Supreme Court rule, and the Supreme Court's rule allows (but does not require) each circuit to set up such a program (RSMo § 452.372). For example, the 16th Circuit (Jackson County) Family Court Resource Services offers free custody/visitation mediation by court specialists, a subsidized program with court-approved mediators for low-income domestic relations parties, and child protection mediation.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Supreme Court rules set training minimums for court-connected and custody mediators. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: courts.mo.gov refused scripted access (robots.txt returned HTTP 403); the text of Missouri Supreme Court Rules 17 and 88 was not read directly. Rule 17.04 and 88.05 requirements come from the Greene County Family Court's quotation of them. The courts.mo.gov link is listed but was not opened. Only the 7th, 16th, 23rd and 31st (Greene) circuits were reviewed; other circuits' programs were not. Whether Missouri keeps any statewide mediator roster (the 7th Circuit's rule mentions The Missouri Bar Dispute Resolution Neutrals List, which was not reviewed).

Montana district courts may require or, on a party's request, order mediation in divorce, custody and support proceedings under MCA 40-4-301. The Montana Judicial Branch's Family Transition Project offers free divorce and parenting mediation, legal advice and child support help statewide to qualifying parents (at least one self-represented and meeting income requirements).

Private mediators: No state license or certification for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Civil (non-family) court-connected mediation rules in Montana district courts were not reviewed. Appellate mediation (Mont. R. App. P.) not reviewed.

The Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR), part of the Nebraska Judicial Branch's Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation, funds and oversees six approved nonprofit mediation centers that serve the courts, probation and the public. The centers mediate parenting plans under the Parenting Act and facilitate child welfare, juvenile justice and restorative justice conferences.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found. Nebraska's UPL rules exempt neutral non-lawyer mediators, but a 2015 advisory opinion says non-lawyer mediators drafting property or support agreements is unauthorized practice of law.

Not confirmed: Civil (non-family) court referral rules and any separate civil mediator roster were not researched. Training hour minimums for the basic and family mediation courses are set by ODR and were not confirmed (the statute does not state hours).

Nevada district courts in counties of 100,000 or more people must run Supreme Court-approved mandatory mediation programs for cases involving child custody or visitation (NRS 3.475 and 3.500); smaller counties may set up such programs alone or jointly.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Nevada's lawyer rules state that a lawyer licensed in another U.S. state who acts as a mediator in Nevada is not engaged in unauthorized practice of law.

Not confirmed: Nevada Supreme Court Settlement Program (appeals) and any civil mediation programs: nvcourts.gov refuses scripted access, so not read. Local court rules for the Clark County (Eighth JD) and Washoe County (Second JD) family mediation programs were not read. Whether any statewide roster or certification exists for civil mediators.

The New Hampshire Judicial Branch's Office of Mediation and Arbitration (RSA 490-E) guides and supports alternative dispute resolution programs in all courts and may facilitate voluntary pre-suit mediation or arbitration under Supreme Court rules.

Private mediators: No general state license for private mediators was found. Only people certified under RSA 328-C may call themselves certified family mediators. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Which case types are referred to mediation (Superior Court Rule 32, Circuit Court family division, small claims) and the court mediator rosters: courts.nh.gov and oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403, so not read. Certification renewal period: RSA 328-C:5 shows two versions (3 years, and 2 years under a 2026 amendment); not stated on the page. Where the family mediator list is published online (RSA 328-C:4-a, I, repealed effective Sept. 8, 2026).

New Jersey Court Rule 1:40 governs complementary dispute resolution (CDR), which the court can order or the parties can request. The Judiciary runs a statewide Civil Mediation Program with a roster of mediators (first two hours free under R. 1:40-4(b)) and an Economic Mediation Program for financial issues in contested divorces, including a Domestic Violence Economic Mediation Program available only at the protected party's request.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators serving as neutrals was found.

Not confirmed: The text of Court Rule 1:40 itself was not read: njcourts.gov rule pages load the rule text with JavaScript, so only the Judiciary's program pages (which cite R. 1:40-4 and 1:40-12) were used. Custody/parenting-time mediation in the Family Part, municipal court mediation and foreclosure mediation were not summarized. The Civil Mediators Search (roster) is a separate application that was not opened.

New Mexico's district courts run their own ADR programs (domestic relations mediation, court clinics, settlement facilitation, foreclosure programs), and the Administrative Office of the Courts runs a statewide Magistrate Court Mediation Program for civil cases. A Supreme Court-appointed Statewide ADR Commission supports and monitors court ADR programs.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators serving as neutrals was found.

Not confirmed: Whether any statewide certification or roster of private mediators exists (none found on the ADR site). Statewide ADR rules proposed by the Commission: adoption status not confirmed. Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court and Children's Court mediation program details were not summarized.

Not confirmed. The New York State Unified Court System's ADR information is on nycourts.gov, which blocks automated access; the state's official statute sites also refused or timed out.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. A NYSBA ethics opinion treats a lawyer's mediation services as neutral services rather than the practice of law, unless the lawyer goes further, such as filing court papers.

Not confirmed: UCS ADR programs, Part 146 rosters, Commercial Division ADR panels and the Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program: nycourts.gov behind Cloudflare; not fetched or bypassed. Judiciary Law Article 21-A text: www.nysenate.gov robots.txt returned 403; public.leginfo.state.ny.us timed out. Exact URL of the ADR page listed in official_links was not opened.

North Carolina requires court-ordered mediated settlement conferences in superior court civil actions (G.S. 7A-38.1) and sets contested custody and visitation issues for mediation where a custody mediation program exists (G.S. 50-13.1). Other statutes cover additional mediation programs, such as equitable distribution (G.S. 7A-38.4A).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the statutes reviewed, but state law lets the Dispute Resolution Commission act against anyone falsely claiming to be DRC-certified. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: NCDRC certification requirements, find-a-mediator roster and Supreme Court mediation rules: nccourts.gov returns 403 to scripts; not fetched or bypassed. The NCDRC link in official_links was not opened.

The North Dakota Supreme Court's Family Mediation Program (N.D.R.Ct. 8.1) handles disputes over parental rights and responsibilities, relocation and grandparent visitation referred by district court clerks or judges. In civil cases, parties must discuss ADR early and file a Rule 8.8 statement.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found. North Dakota's lawyer rules say out-of-state lawyers may do work non-lawyers can do, and give serving as a mediator in private ADR as an example.

Not confirmed: Location of the published roster online (Rule 8.9 says rosters are published annually and available in clerk offices; URL not confirmed). Post-judgment mediation program details beyond the program page's one-line description.

Ohio trial and appellate courts run their own mediation programs. The Supreme Court of Ohio's Dispute Resolution Section supports them with consulting, training and limited funding, and its stated purpose includes mediation for Supreme Court and Court of Claims litigants.

Private mediators: The Supreme Court of Ohio states that neither the state nor the Court licenses or certifies mediators, and completing an approved training does not make someone a 'Supreme Court certified mediator.' No rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Current Superintendence rule numbers: the Section's FAQ cites former Sup.R. 16, and the rules were restructured (renumbering not confirmed from an opened page). Ohio Revised Code chapter number of the Uniform Mediation Act (listed on the rules page by name only). The Superintendence PDF in official_links was not opened.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution System, a program of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma run through the Administrative Office of the Courts, operates thirteen regional Early Settlement Mediation programs that provide free mediation (including family and civil cases) in all 77 counties, under the Oklahoma Dispute Resolution Act (12 O.S. § 1801 et seq.).

Private mediators: The ADR System's FAQ says anyone can start a mediation business in Oklahoma; it certifies only its volunteer Early Settlement mediators. No rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found in the sources reviewed.

Not confirmed: Statute and court rules on oscn.net: robots.txt disallows all crawling, so the Act was read only from the ADR System's PDF copy. Whether district courts keep their own approved-mediator lists statewide (Tulsa County does; others not checked).

Oregon circuit courts may refer civil cases to mediation (ORS 36.185-36.210) and keep mediation panels. In family cases involving custody or parenting time, courts usually refer parents to court-connected mediation, which the Oregon Judicial Department describes as free and confidential.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Oregon's lawyer rules let a lawyer-mediator draft documents memorializing the mediated agreement, with a recommendation that each party get independent legal advice.

Not confirmed: Current text of the court-connected mediator qualification rules and whether the UTCR Chapter 12 amendments have been adopted. County-by-county panels and fees (vary by court; not reviewed).

Pennsylvania custody mediation is governed statewide by Chapter 1940 of the Rules of Civil Procedure and run through court-established programs in individual judicial districts, which add local rules (for example, Chester County refers all custody complaints to a mediation orientation).

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Text of Pa.R.C.P. 1940.1-1940.9: pacodeandbulletin.gov robots.txt disallows all crawlers, so the statewide rule was not read directly; the qualifications in Rule 1940.4 itself are not described. Which judicial districts have set up custody mediation programs (only Chester County's local rules were summarized). Civil (non-custody) court mediation programs and any statewide find-a-mediator page.

Rhode Island's Family Court runs a free court-based mediation program staffed by court-employed mediators; the Supreme Court runs an Appellate Mediation Program for civil appeals; and the Superior Court Arbitration Office holds an annual Settlement Week for civil mediation.

Private mediators: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. No rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Any statewide certification or roster for private mediators (none found). Court rules governing Superior Court mediation and Settlement Week mediator selection.

South Carolina has court-annexed ADR in circuit court and family court, plus procedures for mediation in probate court, overseen by the Supreme Court's Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Private mediators: The certification found covers court-annexed mediators. No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found.

Not confirmed: South Carolina Court-Annexed ADR Rules (which cases must mediate, deadlines, mediator selection, certification requirements): sccourts.org robots.txt disallows all crawlers, so not read. Which counties' circuit and family courts are covered by mandatory ADR.

In custody or visitation disputes between parents, South Dakota courts must order mediation and divide its cost between the parties, with exceptions for domestic abuse and similar circumstances (SDCL 25-4-56). The Unified Judicial System publishes court-approved mediators by judicial circuit.

Private mediators: South Dakota's mediator qualification statute covers court-appointed family mediators. No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on online or out-of-state mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Minimum training or experience requirements for approval (the application asks for training details; no minimum hours stated on the page). Civil (non-family) court-connected mediation programs.

Court-connected mediation in Tennessee runs under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31. A court may refer parties to an Eligible Civil Action into a Rule 31 Mediation by Order of Reference, on a party's motion or on its own, and parties may also start one by agreement (Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 31, §§ 1, 3). The AOC's Programs Manager posts the public list of Rule 31 Mediators online (§ 4(d)).

Private mediators: Rule 31 says its standards cover only mediations and mediators under that rule, not private mediation outside it. The ADR Commission may waive training for a mediator approved and in good standing in another state.

Not confirmed: tncourts.gov serves a JavaScript bot check to scripts. Citations [1]-[6] rely on the Rule 31 text read in a browser (site blocks scripts) on 2026-10-08 at https://www.tncourts.gov/rules/supreme-court/31 (verbatim excerpts saved in data/raw/TN/tn_rule31_excerpts_chrome_2026-10-08.txt), not on a scripted fetch. Rule 31 Sections 2 (definitions, including what counts as an Eligible Civil Action), 5, 6, 9-12 and 15 onward were not reviewed, so the definition of an Eligible Civil Action, mediator conduct standards and pro bono details are not summarized. The text of Tennessee Rule of Evidence 408 and the Tennessee Code (including parenting-plan dispute resolution statutes) were not read for this section. Local court mediation programs and local rules are described only in the county intros where an official county page was read.

Texas courts may refer pending civil cases to mediation under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 154, and divorce and custody cases under Family Code §§ 6.602 and 153.0071. Each court in a county of 25,000 or more people keeps its own list of registered mediators (Gov't Code ch. 37).

Private mediators: No Texas license or registration for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Gov't Code ch. 37 does not apply to the business court or to courts in counties under 25,000; how those courts handle mediator lists was not researched. No Texas Judicial Branch ADR web page was reviewed; county ADR systems under Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 152 were not summarized.

The Utah courts' ADR department, in the Administrative Office of the Courts, oversees several court mediation programs. In divorce cases, remaining contested issues are referred to mediation once an answer is filed, and parties must attend at least one session unless excused.

Private mediators: Utah's state certification for ADR providers was repealed in 2011; no current state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 4-510 series (court-annexed ADR program rules) was not opened. The list of individual court mediation programs (the programs page returned 404). Utah Code § 78B-6-205 was cited on the courts' page but not opened directly.

Most Vermont civil cases must go to mediation under Vermont Rule of Civil Procedure 16.3 (with exceptions such as small claims, foreclosures and evictions). The Superior Court's Family Mediation Program contracts with roster mediators for divorce, post-divorce and guardianship matters.

Private mediators: No Vermont license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on out-of-state mediators was found; the civil rule allows remote mediation by stipulation or court authorization.

Not confirmed: Vermont Rules of Family Procedure Rule 18 (mediation) was not opened. The Family Mediation Program's list of mediators by county was not opened (the third official link was not fetched).

Virginia courts may refer contested civil matters to a free dispute resolution orientation session (Va. Code § 8.01-576.5); further mediation is voluntary. Dispute Resolution Services, in the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, administers mediator certification and a searchable directory of certified mediators.

Private mediators: Virginia certification applies to court referrals; no state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. Virginia's lawyer conduct rules let out-of-state lawyers provide temporary services related to mediation proceedings.

Not confirmed: The Judicial Council Guidelines' training-hour requirements for each certification category were not opened. The appellate mediation pilot described on the DRS page was scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2025; its current status was not confirmed.

In Washington family cases, contested issues may be set for mediation before or alongside a hearing, and each superior court may make a mediator available (RCW 26.09.015). Separately, RCW 7.75 authorizes local dispute resolution centers run by cities, counties or nonprofits.

Private mediators: No Washington license for private mediators was found; the court rule defining the practice of law expressly permits serving as a neutral mediator. No rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Civil (non-family) court mediation rules and county superior court local rules were not reviewed. No Washington Courts (AOC) statewide mediation page or roster was found or reviewed. Who certifies dispute resolution center mediators under RCW 7.75 (the plan must provide for it; the certifying entity was not confirmed).

West Virginia family courts require parents who cannot agree on shared parenting to attempt mediation after screening, and circuit courts may refer civil cases to mediation under Trial Court Rule 25.

Private mediators: No West Virginia license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: The approved family court mediator list itself (the court page describes it but the application/list section is under construction). The WV State Bar mediator listing and its qualification requirements (mywvbar.org behind Cloudflare; not opened).

Wisconsin family cases with contested legal custody or physical placement are referred to the county director of family court services for mediation, and at least one session is required (Wis. Stat. § 767.405). In civil cases, a judge may order the parties to try a settlement alternative such as mediation (Wis. Stat. § 802.12).

Private mediators: No Wisconsin license for private mediators was found; Supreme Court Rule 23.02 says no Wisconsin law license is needed to serve as a neutral mediator. No rule on online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: No Wisconsin Court System (wicourts.gov) mediation page was reviewed. County family court services fees and local rules vary and were not reviewed.

Wyoming district courts may assign civil cases to nonbinding alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, under Wyoming Rule of Civil Procedure 40(b). No statewide court mediation program page was found.

Private mediators: No Wyoming license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed, and no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.

Not confirmed: Domestic relations mediation requirements in district court local rules were not reviewed. Whether any judicial district keeps a mediator list (none found published).