The Supreme Court of North Carolina has approved amendments to five rule sets that affect mediations in North Carolina and has adopted a new standard of professional conduct for mediators. The Supreme Court’s orders were adopted on 4 April 2023, and the amendments become effective on 1 May 2023. The orders can be accessed on the webpage for each affected rule set:

• Standards of Professional Conduct for Mediators
• Rules for Mediated Settlement Conferences and Other Settlement Procedures in Superior Court Civil Actions
• Rules for Settlement Procedures in District Court Family Financial Cases
• Rules of Mediation for Matters Before the Clerk of Superior Court
• Rules of Mediation for Matters in District Criminal Court
• Rules of Mediation for Farm Nuisance Disputes

Among other things, the Supreme Court’s orders amend the attendance rules for mediations and add a standard of professional conduct that prohibits unlawful discrimination within the mediation process. All interested persons are encouraged to read the Supreme Court’s orders in their entirety.

If you have questions about the Supreme Court’s rulemaking process, please contact the Supreme Court’s Office of Administrative Counsel by email at rules@sc.nccourts.org.