Mediation: confidentiality.

Under existing law, when a person consults a mediator or mediation service for the purpose of retaining mediation services, or when persons agree to conduct and participate in a mediation for the purpose of compromising, settling, or resolving a civil dispute, anything said in the course of a consultation for mediation services or in the course of the mediation is not admissible in evidence or subject to discovery, and all communications, negotiations, and settlement discussions by and between participants or mediators are confidential, except as specified. For purposes of confidentiality, existing law provides that a mediation ends when one of several specified conditions is satisfied, including if there is no communication between the mediator and any of the parties to the mediation relating to the dispute for 10 calendar days. This bill would provide that a mediation ends if there is no communication between the mediator and any of the parties to the mediation relating to the dispute for 14 calendar days.