From 22 May, the use of mediation will be compulsory for all parties who issue a claim for less than £10,000, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has said
This will include a free, one-hour mediation session with a trained mediator. The change will apply to all new claims on paper and through HMCTS systems such as Money Claims Online and Secure Data Transfer.
However, compulsory mediation will not apply to online civil money claims cases until later this year.
