Proposed Changes to Court-Connected Mediator Qualification Rules

Please review this memo (and enclosed Frequently Asked Questions) for more information regarding proposed changes to the court-connected mediator qualification rules outlined in Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR) Chapter 12. The proposed changes are posted at: Uniform Trial Court Rules & Committee page

Status Update Regarding Proposed Revisions

Public Comment Review: 17 individuals submitted public comments regarding the proposed changes to UTCR Chapter 12 following the notice seeking public comment.

The UTCR Committee Mediation Workgroup: Following the October 10, 2024 UTCR Committee meeting, the UTCR Committee formed a workgroup to carefully evaluate the Advisory Committee’s proposals, to consider additional changes, and to review public comments. Once the workgroup has completed its review of the Advisory Committee’s proposed revisions and public comments, the workgroup will submit a recommendation to the UTCR Committee.

The workgroup is striving to complete its efforts prior to the fall 2025 UTCR Committee meeting. Proposals that are recommended for final approval during the fall 2025 meeting will be reviewed by the Chief Justice. Any amendments adopted by the Chief Justice following the fall 2025 UTCR Committee meeting will not be implemented until January 1, 2026 at the earliest (and potentially not until August 1, 2026).

Additional Information

The following supplementary resources provide additional context, information, and background for the proposed changes:

The attached memo (and enclosed Frequently Asked Questions).
See Chart 1: UTCR Chapter 12 Proposed Amendments and Reasoning. This chart compares the existing rule, the proposed rule, and the Advisory Committee’s reasoning for proposed substantive changes.
See Chart 2: Proposed UTCR Chapter 12 Court-Connected Mediator Qualifications by Case Type. This chart compares the proposed qualification requirements by mediator type.
See Chart 3: Proposed Court-Connected Mediation Training Requirements. This chart outlines the underlying requirements for each of the four court-connected mediation trainings.
See the three pending draft State Court Administrator Guidelines relating to Oregon Judicial Department Court-Connected Mediator Qualification Rules Training Curriculums:

See Flowchart 1: Pathways for fulfilling mediator experience qualification to become a court-connected domestic relations mediator. This flowchart outlines the three mediator experience pathways for Domestic Relations Custody and Parenting Plan Mediators and Financial Issues Mediators.