If it is pretty clear that court ordered mediation is not going to resolve anything, can both parties elect to bypass it and go straight before the judge?
No offense, but it seems to be just another way for someone to make money off the proceedings, if neither party wants it.
My understanding is that it may cost $150/hr. That money would be better spent on buying groceries.
No, court-ordered mediation is required in custody cases and is free of charge. Mediations that are not court-ordered do cost money, but court-ordered ones do not. You will have to attend, and if you cannot resolve your dispute in mediation then you will have your case proceed to trial at that point.
Sorry…I should have stipulated that this is for ED, not custody. There are no children involved.
I live 4 1/2 hours away in SC, so attending unnecessary hearings are not easy.
Thank You.
If the county where the action is filed does not require mediation, you may by pass it.
Are you able to tell me if Guilford County is one that requires mediation?
Also, since I have to represent myself, is it ok to contact his attorney to find out what is delaying my receiving the discovery documentation that was ordered by the court on October 26th? They were given 90 days for discovery, 30 of which I thought I would have to reply to what they present me with since the court wants us back on the calendar in February.
Thank you.
I don’t know if Guilford requires mediation as we do not practice there. You may want to see if the local rules for your county specify whether mediation is mandatory. The rules can be found on the AOC website www.nccourts.org. A drop list of counties is on the left side of the page, choose your county and a menu with a link to the local rules will appear.
You may contact the attorney directly.