Probate and Tax Assessment Mediation Program
Probate matters are referred to mediation by
order of the judge to whom the case is assigned. A trained
mediator assists the parties and their attorneys to communicate
their positions and discuss their issues, and to explore possible
settlement options that will satisfy the interests of all
concerned. The mediator does not give an evaluation or opinion
of the case but, rather, helps the parties formulate a mutually
acceptable agreement. To ensure an efficient process, the
parties must complete discovery prior to the mediation session,
and submit a Confidential Settlement Statement to the program
manager.
Probate mediations usually take 2-4 hours, and are scheduled
throughout the week. If an agreement is reached in mediation,
the mediator will draft the document and submit it to the
judge for approval. If an agreement is not reached in mediation,
the parties and their attorneys will proceed to court according
to their scheduling order.
Appeals of tax assessments for residential and commercial
property are regularly ordered to mediation at the first status
conference that takes place in front of the assigned judge.
In preparation, the parties must submit a Settlement Offer
to the program manager and to the Office of Attorney General
for D.C. 60 days prior to the mediation, along with any relevant
attachments.
Tax assessment mediations usually take one hour, and are
held every Wednesday. If, with the assistance of the mediator,
the parties are able to reach a settlement, a stipulation
is drawn up by the petitioner and submitted to the Tax Office
of the Court for the judge's approval. If the parties
are not able to reach agreement, they will go to their next
status hearing before the judge and proceed according to their
scheduling order.
Location of probate and tax assessment mediations:
Mediations are held in the Mediation Center, Court
Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Room 104.
To reach us:
General information: (202) 879-1549
Claudette Taylor, Program Officer: (202) 879-0678
^ back to top
|
