Civil Court Mediation

General District Court and Small Claims Court

Resolve your court case through mediation!

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential and flexible process for the resolution of disputes that empowers you to participate in the resolution of your situation.

The process is free to parties on their court dates in Small Claims Court in Fairfax County, Arlington County, Loudoun County and the City of Falls Church and in General District Court in Loudoun County and Fairfax County. Private mediation may be arranged through our office for other cases.

Mediation in the Courts

Mediation gives you the opportunity to create a resolution to your dispute with the help of a Virginia state certified, impartial mediator. You may resolve a broad array of issues within a mediation session, while a trial may only result in a judgment for a specific amount of money, or a decision to dismiss the claim. The Judge cannot arrange a payment plan for you and does not have time to hear all of the tangential issues related to your case. He/She will make a decision based upon the law.

Northern Virginia Mediation Service Mediators

Frequently Asked Questions about Court Mediation

Relevant Sources

Northern Virginia General District Court Websites

Alexandria General District Court Arlington General District Court Fairfax General District Court Falls Church General District Court Loudoun General District Court Prince William General District Court Supreme Court of Virginia Court Information Virginia General District Court Information Virginia General District Court Forms

NVMS Forms

Agreement to Participate in Mediation

Tips for your court date

If you have any questions about your legal rights, consult an attorney before your court date.
Bring to court any documentation you deem necessary to present your case, regardless of your intent to mediate or present your case to the Judge in a trial.
If you are unfamiliar with the court directions and setting, you may consider visiting the court on an earlier date to observe its workings. Civil court is a public matter, and you may observe without having a case on the docket for a given day.
Arrive early. Courthouse buildings may be confusing to newcomers. Furthermore, arriving early may afford you the opportunity to hear about mediation in more detail and take advantage of beginning your case before the docket is called.

“Mediation”

General District Court and Small Claims Court

Northern Virginia Mediation Service Mediators