Small Claims

do you have a small claims case?

KCDRC partners with King County District Court to provide free, professional mediation for small claims cases. In King County, mediation is required in small claims cases before trial. While mediation is court-mandated, it offers parties an opportunity to resolve their dispute with support from a trained neutral mediator.

Benefits of Mediation

These are some of the key benefits of mediation:

1. Mediation enables the parties to determine the outcome of their conflict, rather than being forced to accept a judgment from the Court that may leave neither party satisfied.

2. Unlike a public trial, mediation is confidential and does not become part of a court record.

3. At trial, the judge is limited to granting or denying a money judgment. Mediation is more flexible. With a mediated agreement, a party may agree to complete a job, return an item of property, or pay money using a payment plan.

4. Written settlement agreements are enforceable by a court.

What to Expect

Before Mediation

KCDRC representatives will attend the pretrial hearings at court and help schedule your mediation. You may also contact KCDRC to schedule mediation before your pretrial hearing date.

Mediations are generally conducted online via Zoom. Log-in to your mediation here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9432665386. If you will be connecting by phone, dial 1-253-205-0468 and enter meeting ID 9432665386 when prompted.

During Mediation

Mediation is a very different process from trial. In mediation, parties negotiate with each other to decide the outcome of the case. The role of mediators is to assist and support parties in this process. Mediators do not take any party’s side, provide legal advice, or decide the outcome of the case.

After Mediation

If you reach an agreement during mediation, mediators will help you and the other party write a legally binding and enforceable settlement agreement, which you will sign during the mediation. You will also sign a case report notifying the court that the parties have reached an agreement and would like to dismiss the case.

If your case is not resolved through mediation, you will sign a case report notifying the court that the parties have not reached an agreement. Your case will proceed to trial, and if you would like to request a different course of action, you will need to contact the court directly.

Whether or not your case is resolved during mediation, KCDRC will submit the case report to the court for the parties. Dismissal orders and other notices about the court case will come directly from the court.

Need More Help?

Do you have more questions about small claims mediation with KCDRC? Answers to the most common questions are in the FAQs. (If your questions are not answered there, you can email the Court Services Manager here.)

Do you need more information about small claims court in general? Visit the district court website here.

Are you looking for more legal assistance? Guide to Small Claims Court | Washington Law Help

Have you recently had a case mediated in Small Claims Court and want to complete an evaluation? We welcome your feedback here.