Opinion ID: 2636057
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Dispute Resolution Act

Text: The Dispute Resolution Act structures efforts to resolve disputes through mediation rather than litigation. See §§ 13-22-301 to -313. Two provisions of the Act are of special importance here. The first of these, section 13-22-307 (section 307), protects all mediation communications as confidential. Mediation communications are in turn defined as any oral or written communication prepared or expressed for the purposes of, in the course of, or pursuant to, any mediation services proceeding. § 13-22-302(2.5), C.R.S. (2008). Explicitly excepted from this definition are written agreements to enter into mediation and any final written agreement ... which has been fully executed. Id. Importantly, protected mediation communications are generally inadmissible as evidence in later judicial proceedings. See § 13-22-307(3), C.R.S. (2008). The second provision of special concern here is section 13-22-308(1) (section 308), which outlines a process by which parties can turn an agreement reached during mediation into an enforceable court order. Specifically, section 308 states: If the parties involved in a dispute reach a full or partial agreement, the agreement upon request of the parties shall be reduced to writing and approved by the parties and their attorneys, if any. If reduced to writing and signed by the parties, the agreement may be presented to the court by any party or their attorneys, if any, as a stipulation and, if approved by the court, shall be enforceable as an order of the court. Under this section, parties can turn an agreement reached during mediation into an enforceable court order after reducing it to writing, signing it, and submitting it as a stipulation to the court for its approval. See id. Based on these two provisions, Yaekle and Lish argue that the Dispute Resolution Act abrogates the common law of contracts in the context of mediation proceedings and puts section 308 in its stead. Under their view, the only way for parties to reach a binding agreement in mediation is to follow those steps set out in section 308. We disagree.