Our Services

What We Do

Here are the types of mediations that we offer.

Have questions about your specific case? Give us a call to discuss.

  • A mediator will not decide the case. The mediator’s role is to keep the discussion focused, help the participants explore their options, and support their efforts to reach an agreement. In 2025, the Coastal Community Mediation Center was chosen again for a pilot program to provide District Court Mediation at no cost.

    • It is an opportunity for you and others involved in a dispute to work things out yourselves.

    • If the parties know each other, for example, they are family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers, there may be an opportunity to repair damaged relationships.

    • Participants may be saved time, court appearances, and the need to testify; If the participants can reach an agreement, the charges against the defendant may be dismissed.

    • Participants who have reached an agreement on their own may be more likely to abide by the terms of their agreement.

  • In North Carolina, homeowners associations (HOAs) and condo associations can utilize voluntary pre-litigation mediation to resolve disputes, as outlined in N.C.G.S. § 7A-38.3F, with both parties needing to agree to mediate and costs shared equally.


  • When the Office of Administrative Hearings receives your Hearing Request Form, your case will be referred to a mediator to schedule a mediation for your case. Mediation is a voluntary opportunity for the parties to attempt to settle the case between themselves with the help of a neutral, third person and without the formality of the court. The mediator will contact you to set a time for the mediation. You may elect to participate in mediation or to decline. Medicaid Appeal Mediations are held by phone.

  • Disputes in the workplace, including between employees, are not uncommon. We can sit down with the parties and provide a neutral perspective as we assist with a conversation.

    Another common need for mediation in the workspace is business/consumer disputes. Our mediators look to provide an opportunity to work toward a resolution to the issue or circumstance before any court action.

  • Please inquire for more info

  • A 4- to 6-hour seminar designed to help parents face the challenges of coparenting while protecting their children from harmful conflict and developing a cooperative, child-focused relationship.

    A 5-step Plan to Shield Children from Harmful Conflict

    In just one session (4-6 hours), parents will learn how to implement the 5 prevention steps:

    • Step 1: Keep your child out of the middle.

    • Step 2: Allow your child to love both parents.

    • Step 3: Work on your own recovery.

    • Step 4: Develop new communication skills.

    • Step 5: Create a positive new relationship as coparents.

Our Organization has been chosen for the 2025 NC Dispute Resolution Commission's District Criminal Court Pilot Program.

FAQs

  • The District Criminal Court Mediation Program provides an opportunity for those involved in a misdemeanor criminal matter to sit down with a mediator in order to discuss and try to resolve their dispute. Participants will have an opportunity to tell their side of the story, to hear the other participant’s perspective, and then to search together for ways to settle their disagreements without having a trial.

    Unlike a judge, a mediator will not decide the case. The mediator’s role is to keep the discussion focused, help the participants explore their options, and support their efforts to reach an agreement. If an agreement can be reached, the case may be dismissed. If no agreement is reached, the matter remains before the court.

    The court may order you to participate in mediation or you may be given the choice to do so. If you are not required to participate and a judge or district attorney does not suggest mediation, you may request it.

  • Mediators are volunteers or staff at local community mediation centers. Mediation centers are non-profit organizations dedicated to the peaceful resolution of conflict in North Carolina communities. Your session may be conducted by a single mediator or by two co-mediators. All mediators will have met education, experience, and training requirements set by the Supreme Court of North Carolina for certification and have shown they are of good character. Most importantly, your mediator is there because he or she want to help.

  • A mediator will not tell the court what the participants said during their mediation and will keep the terms of any agreement confidential. If the participants cannot reach an agreement, the mediator will not tell the court why they were unable to settle. There are, however, a few important exceptions to confidentiality: a mediator must report abuse or neglect of children, the elderly, or the disabled, revealed during mediation; a judge may require a mediator to tell him or her about any felonies discussed during mediation; and a mediator may also be required to report serious threats of harm to persons or property made during mediation. Unlike the mediator, the defendant and complaining witness are not bound by confidentiality unless they agree in mediation to keep their discussions and terms of agreement private.

  • When a case is referred to mediation, there is a $60 fee which is due and payable before the mediation begins. The parties may agree on how to split the $60; if they cannot agree, the defendant must pay the fee, unless the court waives it. There are no additional court costs or administrative fees due. If the case is not settled at mediation and goes before the judge, court costs will likely be imposed against the defendant and may well exceed the $60 mediation fee.

  • No. Sometimes cases cannot be settled in mediation and a mediator should never try to force you to agree to terms that are unacceptable to you. If you are not comfortable with a proposed agreement, do not sign it.

  • If you have concerns about your mediator or the way your mediation was conducted, you may contact the Executive Director of the community mediation center where your mediator works or volunteers and express your concerns. You may also “File a Complaint Against a Mediator” online with the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission website at www.ncdrc.gov or by calling 919-890-1415. The Commission regulates mediator conduct.