Claims – Court – Small Claims Cases – Mandatory Mediation
The Ministry of Justice is due to go ahead with the implementation of mandatory mediation for all Small Claims in the County Court. This means that, where a business or individual issues a court claim up to the value of £10,000, the parties will have to go through mandatory mediation first, before having a court hearing or going to trial.
The Small Claims Mediation Service is a free service provided by the Civil Courts. If the parties reach a settlement, the agreed terms can be drafted into a legally binding Settlement Agreement. At this point, Court proceedings would discontinue.
Any business, or consumer, seeking to assert a claim, or those defending a claim, should obtain early legal advice.