Court-ordered mediation.

Existing law prohibits a court from ordering a civil action into mediation when the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000, as specified. This bill would, as of January 1, 2027, increase the dollar amount of the above-described amount in controversy limitation to $75,000 and impose additional requirements, such as there being no ongoing discovery disputes and at least one party notifying the court of an interest in mediation, to be met before a court may order a civil action into mediation. If the parties do not stipulate to a mutually agreeable mediator, the bill would require the court to select a mediator, at no cost to the parties. Court-ordered mediation would be required to conclude with a mutually acceptable statement of agreement or nonagreement, as specified.