Telephone:   (415) 499-7454
Location:   4 Jeanette Prandi Way, San Rafael, CA 94903

Mediation is a voluntary process by which people come together with one or more professionally trained and experienced mediators who assist them in resolving their dispute in order to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement. Mediation Services was established in 1980

How Mediation Works: Mediation is a confidential process with primary objectives to: (1) divert potential litigants from the civil and criminal justice systems (2) reduce court costs and time and related costs for individuals (3) educate the public about mediation and alternative dispute resolution processes. The methods used are mediation, conciliation, and arbitration.

What Does Mediation Do: Mediation helps to improve the quality of life through the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Mediation helps people help themselves and avoids or reduces the need for costly intervention by the court. Mediation increases the satisfactory settlement of disputes.

How Do I Start the Process? Many people are able to resolve their disputes with appropriate information and/or advice. A professionally trained volunteer or staff person is available by telephone from 9:00 AM to 4:00PM Monday through Friday.

To start the Mediation process, a Request for Service form must be filled out. This can be mailed to you, faxed, or you may pick up a form directly from the office. There is a $10.00 filing fee. Most fees for the Mediation session are on a sliding scale (see back of request form), according to income and need. All fees are waived for persons whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines or receiving federal assistance.

Agreements: At the conclusion of the session, disputants may agree to make their written settlement agreement enforceable at law and/or admissible as evidence at a judicial or administrative proceeding ((pursuant to the Business and Professions Code Section 467.4).

What Types of Disputes are Handled:

• Small Claims-debts, accidents, property, etc.
• Landlord/Tenant-Repairs, security deposits, evictions, inspections for both residential and commercial property.
• Business-Partnership issues, real property sales, etc.
• Neighbor-Noise issues, fences, views, use of common facilities, encroachments, etc.
• Environmental-Easements, drainage, land use
• Domestic-Community property division, disputes involving family members
• Employee/Employer-Wages, dismissals, etc.
• Discrimination and Harassment
• Personal Injury
• Consumer-Private party issues
• Government
• Traffic
• Rental Property Inspections-Move-in and move-out inspections for rental properties to mediate any disputes regarding the property
• Victim/Offender (link to Victim/Offfender page)
• Animal Issues-Potentially Dangerous and Potentially Vicious Dog issues, barking dogs, noise or encroachment from horses, peacocks, etc. (link to Animal Mediation page w/brochure)

Other Services Available:

• Training-The staff of Mediation Services conducts training in Basic Mediation and Victim/Offender Mediation. Training for organizations and groups are designed to accommodate the needs of each organization.
• Arbitration-Available for private parties, businesses, organizations
• Meeting Facilitation-Conducted by trained facilitators
• Animal Hearings
• School Mediation Program-Instruction for youth in conflict resolution. Available for Marin County public and private schools.
• Parking Citation Hearings-Referred by the different ticketing jurisdictions in Marin County

Mediation Services Documents.

• Request for Service Form