Settlement Conference Mediation

A settlement conference mediation is a type of mediation required by the court before going to trial in a civil dispute.

We are the only dispute resolution center in the State of Washington that coordinates pre-trial settlement conferences. Other available options are limited to judicial settlement conferences when available at the courthouse.

The settlement conference mediation is run by a mediator who may either be an attorney or person with substantive knowledge about the issues to be discussed.

The mediator simply facilitates or guides the negotiations without providing advise or advocating for either party. He or she will ask questions to help achieve a mutually satisfactory outcome, and may assist the parties in writing agreements.

In general and whether in person or online, the disputing parties and their attorneys are assigned to separate rooms, and the mediator is assigned to his or her own room. Unless the parties agree to meet together in one room, the mediator will meet with each party individually, going back and forth until a mutually satisfactory conclusion is reached.

Upon request, we can send a Settlement Conference Report to the Pierce County Superior Court as proof that the parties have fulfilled their pre-trial requirement.