Dear Certified Mediator,
On December 16, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court issued AOSC20-24 Amendment 1 regarding mediator certification and renewal. Please note this is an amendment to the original AOSC20-24 issued April 7, 2020. Some provisions of the order expire on December 31, 2020, and some provisions have been extended until December 31, 2021. The AO should be read carefully as all dates listed are correct.
The provisions that have been extended through December 31, 2021, and other highlights include:
- allowing certified mediation training programs, approved arbitration, and approved parenting coordination training programs to be conducted online through December 31, 2021;
- allowing certified mediators to complete their CME requirements in any format including non-live programs through December 31, 2021;
- suspending the Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators by eliminating the required points for mentorship activities through December 31, 2021. Note: except for county mediator certification, some mentorship activities may still be needed for applicants to reach the required points for certification;
- providing for the electronic signatures of mentors in the mediator certification application through December 31, 2021; and
- granting deadline extensions for approved mediation trainers through December 31, 2021.
Questions should be directed to DRCmail@flcourts.org.