IN THE

TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

No. 10-18-00285-CV

IN THE MATTER OF THE MARRIAGE OF

SUSAN VANDUSEN AND RICHARD KAIRIS

From the County Court at Law

Walker County, Texas

Trial Court No. D1716502

ORDER OF REFERRAL TO MEDIATION 

AND ASSIGNMENT OF MEDIATOR

The Legislature has provided for the resolution of disputes through alternative 

dispute resolution (ADR) procedures. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. §§ 154.001-

154.073 (West 2011). The policy behind ADR is stated in the statute: “It is the policy of 

this state to encourage the peaceable resolution of disputes . . . and the early settlement 

of pending litigation through voluntary settlement procedures.” Id. § 154.002 (West 

2011). Mediation is a form of ADR. Mediation is a mandatory but non-binding settlement 

conference, conducted with the assistance of a mediator. Mediation is private, 

confidential, and privileged.
In the Matter of the Marriage of Vandusen and Kairis Page 2

We find that this appeal is appropriate for mediation. See id. § 154.021(a) (West 

2011); 10TH TEX. APP. (WACO) LOC. R. 9.

The Court assigns the Honorable Rick Morris as the mediator. He can be contacted 

at the following address, telephone phone number, or email:

P.O. Box 1163

Salado, TX 76571

(254) 718-3388

rickmorris711@gmail.com

or through his ADR Coordinator, Karen Morris at:

P.O. Box 1163

Salado, TX 76571

(254) 554-1795

karenmorris710@gmail.com

Mediation must occur within 30 days after the date of this Order. 

No less than seven calendar days before the first scheduled mediation session, 

each party must provide the mediator and all other parties with an information sheet 

setting forth the party’s positions about the issues that need to be resolved. At or before 

the first session, all parties must produce all information necessary for the mediator to 

understand the issues presented. The mediator may require any party to supplement the 

information required by this Order.

Named parties must be present during the entire mediation process, and each 

party that is not a natural person must be represented by an employee, officer, agent, or 

representative with authority to bind the party to settlement.
In the Matter of the Marriage of Vandusen and Kairis Page 3

Immediately after mediation, the mediator must advise this Court, in writing, only 

that the case did or did not settle and the amount of the mediator’s fee paid by each party. 

The mediator’s fees will be taxed as costs. Unless the mediator agrees to mediate without 

fee, the mediator must negotiate a reasonable fee with the parties, and the parties must 

each pay one-half of the agreed-upon fee directly to the mediator.

Failure or refusal to attend the entire mediation as scheduled may result in the 

imposition of sanctions, as permitted by law. 

Any objection to this Order must be filed with this Court and served upon all 

parties within ten days after the date of this Order, or it is waived.

We refer this appeal to mediation. 

The appeal and all appellate deadlines are suspended as of the date of this Order. 

The suspension of the appeal is automatically lifted when the mediator’s report to the 

Court is received. If the matter is not resolved at mediation, any deadline that began to 

run and had not expired by the date of this Order will begin anew as of the date the 

mediator’s report to the Court is received. Any document filed by a party after the date 

of this Order and prior to the filing of the mediator’s report will be deemed filed on the 

same day, but after, the mediator’s report is received.

PER CURIAM

Before Chief Justice Gray,

Justice Davis, and

Justice Neill

Order issued and filed March 6, 2019