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Domestic Mediation | Dependency & Neglect
Civil Mediation | HOA Disputes | Mediation/Arbitration

Steps to mediation

Fees and Payment – due 7 days After Scheduling Mediation

Each party must pay a deposit for the scheduled minimum two-hour mediation directly to the mediator no later than seven days after the mediation session is scheduled. If the deposit is not paid, the mediator reserves the right to cancel the appointment. You will be notified IF the mediator decides to cancel the mediation. Payment may be made by debit or credit card on the contact page, or by cash, check or money order. The deposit will be applied to the first two hours of mediation. If the parties cancel the mediation after paying the deposit and more than 7 days before the mediation, the deposit will be refunded. If a party cancels or changes the mediation date less than 7 days before the mediation, her or his deposit will be forfeited. If a party does not appear for mediation, her or his deposit will be forfeited, and he or she may be charged an additional fee. If the mediation is more than two hours, payment for the additional time is expected at the end of the mediation session. An additional fee may be assessed for the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding if requested by the parties.

Waiver for Mediation Fee for Qualified Parties

A party may qualify as indigent and the cost of the mediation may then be waived (with a $20 co-pay). Parties involved in a domestic mediation who believe that they may qualify for a fee waiver must have that status approved before the mediation by submitting a Request to Waive Fees form and supporting information (verification of ALL household income) to the Collection Investigator’s office located in the Larimer County Justice Center at 201 LaPorte Ave., Suite 100, Fort Collins, CO. You must leave the form with all supporting information at the Collection Investigator's office. You may come back after 72 hours and pick up your form to see whether it was approved or denied. All incomplete applications will be denied. An approved application must be submitted to the mediator with the $20 co-pay 7 days after scheduling the mediation appointment. Do not file this form with the Court. If an approved application and co-pay is not provided, full payment to the mediator is be expected within the same 7 day period. This form is not necessary if a party has been approved for fee waiver through the court within the last 6 months or if the party is a client of Colorado Legal Services. A copy of the court’s approval should be sent into the mediation office with the intake form.

In the case of Civil mediation, please contact your mediator for fee waiver application instructions.

Mediation Confirmation Letter

Once payment to reserve the mediation date is received by the mediator from all participants to the mediation, a confirmation letter will be sent to the parties and/or attorneys who are expected to attend the mediation. If attorneys are attending the mediation, they will be sent the confirmation letter and asked to pass the information on to the client. This letter should be reviewed very carefully, as it outlines information that the parties may find helpful for a successful and productive mediation.

Reschedule, Cancellation, or No Show Policy

A time and date for mediation has been reserved and is not available for other appointments. Therefore, we must be very strict about our cancellation policy. If an appointment is cancelled on short notice, or participants do not show up to the scheduled appointment with our office, you will be charged a minimum fee equivalent to the full 2 hour mediation fee for the late cancellation/no show. DO NOT rely on others to cancel for you. Both parties/attorneys must confirm the cancellation before the mediation is considered cancelled.

Mediation must be cancelled within 7 days as outlined below:

*Note see Civil Mediation tab for cancellation policy for those cases.

Where to Appear for Mediation

Mediations are held at the Larimer County Justice Center at 210 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins, CO, unless otherwise arranged with your mediator. Please wait outside of Conference Room 406. The Justice Center is located on the southwest corner of LaPorte and Mason. For your convenience we recommend that mediation participants park in the Civic Center Parking Garage located on the southeast corner of LaPorte and Mason.

Phone Mediation

Phone mediations are available for parties who are not local. A 2-hour prepaid calling card and phone number for mediator to call you, at the time of mediation needs to be proved to the mediator 7 days prior to your scheduled appointment. If a calling card has unused time at the end of mediation, the mediator will return it to you after you appointment. If you can be reached at a phone number with the following area codes: 970-, 303-, 720-, or a toll-free number, for example 800-, 866-, 877-, we can call you from the Justice Center and a calling card is not necessary.

Mediation Status Report filed with Court

At the conclusion of the mediation, the mediator will file a Mediation Status Report with the Court in every court-ordered case. The Mediation Status Report will be provided to the parties or attorneys at or after mediation. The Mediation Status Report provides the court with the status of mediation (date of mediation, whether additional mediation is scheduled, attendance, fee payment). It does not provide information about any agreements that may or may not have been reached at mediation. This report by the mediator is not a substitute for any reports or filings that the court may require of you independently about what was or was not resolved in mediation.

Memorandum of Understanding

The mediator will draft the Memorandum of Understanding, which is a summary of the agreements reached in the mediation, if requested by the parties or the attorneys and after the drafting fees have paid. Only the agreements that have been discussed and reached in mediation will be included in the Memorandum of Understanding. It is up to the parties to file any agreements/Memoranda of Understanding with the court.