Opinion ID: 852688
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mediation as Prerequisite to Hearings

Text: The father urges that any requirement for mandatory mediation, as a prerequisite to court hearings, whether by court order or local rule, is an improper restriction upon litigants' access to courts. He also makes a general claim that such a requirement violates Article 1, Section 12, of the Indiana Constitution. [2] Indiana judicial policy favors the effective use of mediation. Indiana Alternative Dispute Resolution Rule 2.2 authorizes a court on its own motion to refer a civil or domestic relations case to mediation and establishes a procedure for consideration of any objection thereto. Section I(E)(2) of the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines explicitly declares: If court action is initiated, the parents shall enter into mediation unless otherwise ordered by the court. The best interests of Indiana citizens and sound judicial administration are well-served when trial courts fully utilize and promote the use of mediation, which can be an enormously effective tool to facilitate the amicable resolution of disputes, to enable parties to meaningfully participate in crafting solutions that best serve their respective interests, to reduce points of contention that would otherwise require a court hearing, to minimize the destructive polarization that can accompany contested adversarial proceedings, to resolve disputes often more expeditiously and less expensively than by protracted litigation and trial proceedings, to equip parties with dispute resolution skills, and to relieve crowded trial dockets thus enabling courts to provide necessary trials more promptly. When a dispute is referred for mediation, the parties are required to mediate in good faith, but they are not compelled to reach an agreement. A.D.R. 2.1. Not surprisingly, it has become commonplace for Indiana trial courts to require parties to engage in mediation before proceeding to contested final hearings. Such a requirement is not an impediment to a party's access to courts. Rather, it is an appropriate procedural step consistent with the efficient judicial administration of the party's case. An order to mediate is not unlike the requirements imposed by our rules governing discovery and other pre-trial procedure. Such obligations, while prerequisites for eligibility for final hearings, merely facilitate the fair resolution of disputes. They do not prevent a party from obtaining a judicial resolution of a case nor obstruct a party's access to the courts. The father has not demonstrated any violation of Article 1, Section 12, of the Indiana Constitution. We hold that trial courts and local court rules may require parties to engage in mediation as a prerequisite to contested court trials or hearings.