WHEREAS, pursuant to § 44.108, Florida Statutes, mediation should be accessible to all parties, regardless of financial status, and

  WHEREAS, pursuant to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and Florida Small Claims Rules, mediation may be used in county court civil proceedings, and

  WHEREAS, the use of mediation in county court civil proceedings has been deemed necessary by the judges of the Seventh Judicial Circuit;

  NOW THEREFORE, I, JAMES R. CLAYTON, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order that mediation in county court civil proceedings in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties take place in accordance with the following:

1. County Court judges may refer parties in county court civil cases to private mediators or to the Seventh Judicial Circuit County Mediation program (SCCM). When referring a case to SCCM, an Order of Referral in a format substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit A (PDF) must be used.
2. Indigent parties and parties in small claims and eviction cases referred to SCCM are not to be charged fees for mediation services.
3. Other parties referred to SCCM must pay mediation fees to the Clerk of Court in the amounts of $60.00 per person, per mediation session.

TO BE RECORDED in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.

DONE AND ORDERED in DeLand, Volusia County, Florida this 14th day of September 2021.