Governor Signs the “Glitch Bill” – Impact on Mediation

The Governor has signed a bill relating to the State Judicial System, otherwise known as the “Glitch Bill” - Chapter 2005-236, Florida Statutes. It impacts mediation in several ways:

• Removes the county obligation to fund mediation for indigents.
• Allows the courts to charge for scheduled mediation sessions - although not explicit, it implies that the courts can charge cancellation fees [this is a big deal for private mediators as well].

In addition, since many mediators are also qualified [the Florida Supreme Court does not certify] arbitrators, this would be of interest: F.S. 44.103(3) was amended to cap the arbitrator’s per diem fee to no more than $1,500.00, unless the parties agree otherwise.

The bill is lengthy, so just go to pages 73 -75 to find the changes to Chapter 44. The effective date is July 1, 2005 [less than 2 weeks from now].

If you’d like a copy of the completely revised Chapter 44, with the new amendments included, please email me.

To email me, click Perry S. Itkin.
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