Our FEES have recently been updated to continue to provide you with excellent service.
The Mediation Center of Los Angeles was selected for the Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC) Vendor Resource List as one of two organizations to provide mediation for litigated civil cases by highly-qualified mediators at affordable prices.
Mediation is the most cost-effective, time-saving, efficient way to resolve many types of disputes – between business partners, merchants and customers, brokers and clients, real estate transactions, employment disputes, landlord and tenant, disputes between husband and wife, disputes concerning management of parents’ health and financial affairs and conflicts over inheritance, just to name a few.
Mediation is a process whereby a professionally trained neutral facilitates the negotiations between parties to help them settle a dispute they could not settle themselves. The meetings are voluntary and held in a confidential private setting either jointly with the mediator or separately in private caucuses.
No one is bound by the negotiations unless an agreement is reached and signed by all the parties. Parties can bring their lawyers, attend by themselves, or bring a friend or family member. It is less stressful than litigation and can resolve the dispute sometimes within one day or less.
- Select a Mediator from Our Mediator List
- Submit Your Case
- Pay $150 Administrative Fee per Party
- Get a Reduced Rate Mediation
HOW REDUCED RATE MODERATION WORKS: Each party to the mediation is required to pay $150 directly to MCLA for administrative fees. Then, the initial fee of $900 for the first 3 hours is payable directly to the mediator. Any additional fees and costs that might become due are payable directly to the mediator. The fee is usually divided equally among the parties unless they agree otherwise. If there is a charge for the use of conference rooms, the parties will be informed by the mediator.
The Court has a new program to provide high-quality low-cost mediations by independent providers who are experienced lawyer-mediators. Information about the program is on the Court’s website at http://www.lacourt.org/division/civil/CI0109.aspx
All panel mediators have been carefully selected and meet the highest standards for mediating civil cases. They have at least 10 years of good standing with the State Bar of California and have practiced various specialized areas of law over long careers.
All have extensive training in mediation and experience mediating litigated cases. They have committed to act with the highest ethical standards of the mediation profession and to serve as neutrals with no conflict of interest in all cases. They satisfy required continuing education for mediators. The Center’s Vendor Resource List for mediations is available to civil litigants in selected cases throughout Los Angeles County.
The Center charges a small administrative fee of $150 per party, payable in advance of the mediation directly to the Center by credit card or check. The Center uses Law and PayPal for easy payment of fees. We will send each party a link by email to pay by credit card or by direct bank fund transfer. You can make your payment online right now.
Mediators on the Center’s panel have agreed to accept cases on the following terms:
$900 for the first 3 hours, divided equally among parties or in accordance with the agreement of the parties. There is no charge for preparation and review. Any time after the initial 3 hours will be charged at a reduced rate set by the mediator, not to exceed $499 per hour.
Payments can be made by check or credit card through LawPay or PayPal when available. The mediator fee is payable directly to the mediator who will provide the parties with a mediation and confidentiality agreement and fee agreement.
Mediators are independent contractors; not agents or employees of the Center or the Court. They are paid by litigants, not the Center or the Court.
Yes. The Center will provide each party with a Client Satisfaction Survey. We invite and request that you completed it at the end of the mediation for quality control, assurance and to help us always improve. We request that each party and counsel FILL OUT THE QUICK SURVEY HERE ONLINE or DOWNLOAD the document and EMAIL the survey to the Center.
Yes, mediations are voluntary and confidential under California law. The mediator will provide litigants with a Confidentiality Agreement and Fee Agreement to be signed by all participants before the start of the mediation.
To find a court-eligible qualified mediator with the right credentials and areas of expertise, litigants should use our online Mediator Search HERE or contact MCLA by email at info@mediationla.org or by phone at 833-476-9145.
Please indicate that you are an LA Superior Court resource list litigant and request the discounted fee. Also, inform the mediator whether you are an attorney or an unrepresented litigant.
No. MCLA receives no compensation from the Court or mediators and so far, no taxpayer money. The Center depends entirely on the small administrative fees paid by litigants of $150 per party and on private and public donations. Donations from the public are welcomed.
Will MCLA Offer a Fee Reduction or Waiver? And How Do I Request One?
A fee reduction or waiver may be available to parties who can demonstrate a need for fee reduction and are under financial hardship. The mediator’s fee may also be reduced based on showing need and the agreement of the mediator. (Mediators are not required to reduce their fee but may offer to do so in appropriate cases at their discretion.) You may submit your fee waiver request to info@mediationla.org and we will let you know if you qualify.
Court Fee Waiver: MCLA will waive its administrative fee for any party who has received a current fee waiver from the Court (Form FW-001). MCLA will seek to assign a mediator who will also waive the mediator’s fee for the qualifying party. You should submit your request and a copy of your court fee waiver to info@mediationla.org.
Request for a Discretionary Fee Waiver: For a party who can demonstrate a material need, but does not have a fee waiver from the court, you may submit a fee waiver reduction request (Form MCLA-FW-001) to MCLA at info@mediationla.org and MCLA will decide whether (or not) that party qualifies for a waiver or reduction. If a fee waiver or reduction is approved by MCLA, MCLA will adjust its administrative fee appropriately. Additionally, MCLA will seek to assign a mediator who will waive or reduce a proportionate share of the mediator fee.
• Bennet Root, Executive Director
info@mediationla.org
833-476-9145
www.mediationla.org
The Center submitted a proposal to offer mediation services in response to the Court’s Request for Proposal (RFP) and after going through the review process, the Center was selected as one of two vendors for the new Civil Mediation Vendor Resource List.
In response to termination of the LA Superior Court program in 2013, for budgetary reasons, the Center was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation to educate the public about the benefits of resolving disputes through mediation and provide high quality, affordable mediation services to.
It is sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association and the Center’s board members include past and current presidents of the SFVBA. The Center’s mission is to help people with legal disputes throughout the County of Los Angeles save the expense of litigation by early resolution of cases and to help reduce court congestion and the heavy cost of litigation on the Courts.
The following forms will be needed for your mediation:
- Agreement to Mediate including Waiver & Release and Confidentiality – Review prior to mediation. –
- Settlement Agreement – After parties have reached an agreement on all or some issues, the Settlement Agreement will reflect of the areas of consensus. This document must be filed by the parties with the court in a timely fashion. –
- Evaluation Form (Client Satisfaction Survey) – At the conclusion of the mediation, parties will evaluate the mediator and the mediation process by using this form. OR YOU CAN FILL OUT THE FORM HERE ONLINE. The form will be filled in at the end of the mediation. –
- Briefs – It is customary for the parties to submit their briefs to help mediators learning about the case. The optimal time for submission is 7 business days prior to mediation. The briefs should not exceed 10 pages and any additional documents and evidence should be sent by mail, attached to email, or faxed to mediator. The briefs will be deemed as confidential unless parties agree otherwise. Your selected mediator can help you prepare the brief. –
Mediators are prepared to answer questions about any of these forms:
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FORM
SETTLEMENT STIPULATION
CONFIDENTIALITY AND MEDIATION AGREEMENT
The following fees are required to be paid at the time of engaging the mediator and before the start of any mediation:
Each party to the mediation is required to pay $150 directly to MCLA for administrative fees. Click the link below to pay online either through LawPay or Zelle.
The initial fee of $900 for the initial 3 hours is payable directly to the mediator. Any additional fees and costs that might become due are payable directly to the mediator. The fee is usually divided equally among the parties unless they agree otherwise. If there is a charge for the use of conference rooms, the parties will be informed by the mediator. All parties will be required to sign a Mediation Fee Agreement with the Mediator as well as a Confidentiality Agreement prior to the commencement of the mediation.
YOU CAN PAY YOUR CENTER FEE ONLINE
Payment for the mediation is made directly to the Mediator. MCLA charges a small administrative fee of $150 per party, payable in advance of the mediation directly to the MCLA by credit card or check. MCLA uses LawPay and Zelle for easy payment of fees.
Refund policy for MCLA fees only – If the parties do not agree to mediate within ninety (90) days of the initial filing, a refund of half the initial fee will be sent to all parties who have paid their initial mediation fee. If no MCLA mediator is available to mediate the case within ninety (90) days of the date of submission through no fault of the parties, a full refund will be issued to all parties.