25-2943.

Referral of civil cases to mediation or alternative dispute resolution; rules of practice.

A court may refer a civil case, including a contested guardianship or contested conservatorship proceeding, to mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and, unless otherwise ordered following a hearing upon a motion to object to such referral, may state a date for the case to return to court. Such date shall be no longer than ninety days after the date the order was signed unless the court grants an extension upon request of the parties. Any agreement or resolution made in mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution shall be voluntarily entered into by the parties. An individual trial court, an appellate court, or the Supreme Court on its own initiative may adopt rules of practice governing the procedures for referral of cases to mediation and other forms of dispute resolution. Such services may be provided by approved centers on a sliding scale of fees under the Dispute Resolution Act.