Frequently Asked Questions

I will need an interpreter for this mediation session. What can the Center provide?

We will arrange and pay for an interpreter for your session through local interpreting agencies. We have provided interpreter services in American Sign Language and Spanish in the past.

How accessible are the Center's offices?

We are located on the top floor of a 4-story building with elevator access to all floors. The building faces both Broadway and St. Helens Ave. The St. Helens side features ramped entrance to the 3rd floor and elevator access to the 4th.

Our office provides men's and women's restrooms. ADA-compliant restrooms are available on the 3rd floor.

Please advise us of any accessibility needs you may have during the coordination process.

Getting to the Center by car

Google Maps directions are available here.

From I-5 North or South

Take exit 133 towards City Center.
Merge onto I-705 North.
Take the "A" street exit and then take "A" street to South 9th street.
Take a left on South 9th and head up the hill to Broadway.
Take a right on Broadway (a one-way street).
738 Broadway is a glass-fronted building on the left-hand side.

Parking options

We are located in the Theater District of downtown Tacoma. Broadway offers free 2-hour street parking. There is also free 1-hour parking on the St. Helens Ave side of our building. In addition, there are a number of paid parking lots nearby, including the Republic Parking garage at 10th and Commerce, at the Pierce Transit bus transfer area.

For a free parking option and to ease traffic in downtown Tacoma, we encourage you to park at the Sound Transit parking garage at Tacoma Dome Station [map] and take the Link light rail to the last stop at 9th and Commerce, all for free. Once you disembark from the Link, walk up the hill one block to Broadway. Cross to the Tully's Coffee side of the street and continue to 738 Broadway.

Getting to the Center by bus

The Center is located downtown on Broadway, one block up the hill from the Commerce Street Transfer Area. Pierce Transit routes that serve this location include 1, 2, 3, 11, 13, 16, 26, 28, 41, 45, 53, 57.

What is mediation?

For general information about mediation, click here.

What qualifies as a dispute?

A dispute is any difference of opinion between two or more parties over a civil (i.e. non-criminal) matter. For examples of disputes that we frequently mediate here at the Center, click here.

How long does a mediation session last?

We book mediation and settlement conference sessions in 3-4 hour blocks.

How do I prepare for mediation?

We ask that parties come to mediation in good faith, meaning that they are willing to discuss the issues, share information, and work towards a solution with one another. All the parties involved must be capable of negotiating, creating, and adhering to their mutually created settlement agreement.

Considering the following questions can help you and the mediator focus on what brought you to mediation:

• What do you think is the reason that you have not been able to agree?
• Think of a time when you successfully resolved a conflict. What made that work for you?
• Is the mediation court ordered? How does that affect your incentives to mediate?
• What are the costs of continuing this conflict? Consider emotional, physical, psychological, and financial costs.
• What effect will continuing the conflict have on family, friends, or co-workers?
• What do you expect from the mediation process?
• What are you going to do if the mediation is not successful?

What happens after the mediation?

The settlement agreement you develop at the Center is legally binding, just like any other contract between adults. One of the parties can file it in court, if required in your case.

What is the difference between a settlement conference and mediation?

For general information on settlement conferences, click here.

What are other alternative dispute resolution options and how are they different from mediation?

Many parenting plans feature a section specifying Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) options for use if the parties cannot come to an agreement on their own. Most Pierce County parenting plans specify mediation at PCCDR to resolve disputes. Other common options are:

Arbitration

Arbitration is a process in which disputing parties present evidence to a neutral and impartial third party who then comes to a decision based on that evidence. Unlike mediation, parties do not control the outcome of their dispute.

Litigation

Litigation is a process in which disputing parties are represented by legal counsel who advises and advocates for one side. Legal counsel or self-representing parties present evidence to a judge who then arrives at a binding decision based on existing law. This decision can also be subject to appeal. Litigation fees can run extremely high. The process can be adversarial rather than collaborative as in mediation, because the parties have little incentive to work together to come to a solution.

Counseling

Counseling, like mediation, is a process in which individuals or groups can explore feelings. However, therapy is not always used to resolve an identified dispute between two or more parties, or to identify solutions. It can be used as a tool in an ongoing process of personal growth.

How do I start the dispute resolution process?

For information on beginning the dispute resolution process with PCCDR, click here.

My parenting plan originates outside of Pierce County. Can I still mediate at PCCDR?

Yes, you can. Check to see if your parenting plan specifies PCCDR in the section on dispute resolution. If the other party is willing to come here, we can work with you. To see how cases originating outside of Pierce County are reflected in the fee schedule, click here. To download our current fee schedule as a Microsoft Word (.doc) document, click here.

I have a protection or restraining order against another party, but we still need to mediate. What do I do?

If you have a protection or restraining order against another party, please provide a copy of the order(s) to Center staff so we can see if the documents prevent you from mediating or if they prevent us from contacting the other party. If there is language preventing the parties from contacting each other, or language preventing third-party contact, your order(s) will have to be amended or lifted before we can contact the other party or schedule a mediation.

What if the other party doesn't respond to the invitation letter?

If the other party does not respond within the allotted 10 business days, it could be due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes letters get lost in the mail. Sometimes parties do not feel obligated to respond to first-class mailings if such obligation is not stated in a parenting plan. If the party does not respond within the 10-business day window, we will send a Mediation Services Report stating that the other party did not respond to the letter sent to the mailing address that the initiating party has provided.

What if the other party doesn't want to mediate?

Mediation is a voluntary process. There are a variety of reasons that another party may choose not to mediate. If the other party declines to mediate, we send a Mediation Services Report to both parties saying that one party initiated and the other party declined. If there is a known reason, we state the reason in impartial language.

What happens if I say no?

If you decline to mediate, we will send a Mediation Services Report to both parties stating that one party has initiated mediation and the other party has declined. As an impartial coordination service, we use impartial language in this report. It is a document for the parties only, not for the court.

Do I have to mediate at PCCDR?

Many Pierce County parenting plans specify PCCDR as an alternative dispute resolution provider. If yours does not, or if your parenting plan originates outside of Pierce County, it is up to the parties to determine whether or not they would like to pursue mediation through us.

Can I bring other people?

We invite you to have a spouse, partner, friend, or relative acting as a support person in our waiting area, if this is important to you. We ask that all parties present in the mediation proceedings be relevant to the negotiations and decision-making. If you would like to bring another person with you to participate in mediation, we will propose this to the other party and see if they are willing to mediate under these conditions.

Can I bring kids?

We are not equipped to accommodate minors in the Center or in the mediation sessions. We ask that parties not bring minors to the Center.

Do I have to appear in person?

If you are out of the area, we can accommodate you by phone. Please let us know during the coordination process.

I would like to mediate, but I am not available during regular business hours.

The Center can schedule mediations starting at 5pm on weekdays, as long as all parties and mediators are amenable to this scheduling. We can also schedule sessions on Saturdays during the day.

How much does a session cost?

For information about our mediation fee schedule, click here. To download our 2007 fee schedule as a Microsoft Word (.doc) document, click here.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, checks, Visa or MasterCard. We are equipped to take Visa or MasterCard over the phone or in person. We do not recommend sending cash through the mail.

What if I can't pay?

Mediation takes time, effort, and financial investment from both parties.

We understand that parties can be faced with financial constraints, but also ask that each contribute what they can. The minimum payment is $50.00.

If you would like to be considered for a Fee Adjustment based on your income, please let us know and we will provide a Fee Adjustment form. When a party applies for a Fee Adjustment, we ask for documentation of the last 3 months' household income (wages, government assistance, other sources) and the number of people in the household. We compare that data to the current US Federal Poverty Guidelines in order to determine how much a party should be able to pay.

When are my fees due?

A $50.00 non-refundable administrative fee is required with your Request for Mediation form in order for us to open your case and contact the other party to see if s/he is willing to mediate. If the other party is willing to mediate, they invest their $50 portion to continue with scheduling a session. Once a session is scheduled, the parties are responsible for paying any remaining fee balances 14 days before the session.

What if I have to cancel a scheduled session?

If you need to cancel for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible. Please note that canceling within 10 business days of your session means that you will forfeit the entire session fee.

What if I need to reschedule?

There is a $50 rescheduling fee in addition to the relevant session fee.

Due to the high volume of cases and our volunteer mediators' busy schedules, rescheduling your case may take another 3-4 weeks.

What if we need more than one session?

Sometimes parties make a lot of progress in one session but decide, for various reasons, to continue in a second session. Additional session fees cost the same as your original session. For more information about our mediation fee schedule, click here. To download our 2007 fee schedule as a Microsoft Word (.doc) document, click here.