Non-Court Related Mediation

In many cases, disputes that have not been filed with the courts in Ashtabula County may be referred to the Joint Court Mediation Project. Examples of these may be estate matters, family and neighbor disputes, disputes between governmental entities and business disputes. The procedure for handling these disputes is on a case by case basis. Please feel free to contact the Joint Court Mediation Project with any questions you may have.

Future Developments
Future mediation developments under consideration for Ashtabula County include:

• Disputes involving township trustees: although a few such matters have been referred to mediation through the court and the prosecutor’s office, trustees also have the opportunity to make direct contact with JCMP for information or to schedule sessions;
• Encouraging peer mediation in local schools: training students to manage conflict and resolve disputes is a growing effort in Ashtabula County and one that the local bar association has fostered together with JCMP;
• Promoting referrals from local law enforcement: disputes that involve neighbors can often be addressed effectively in mediation before they escalate to the level where criminal charges may be filed;

Outreach to individuals and organizations within the county (chambers of commerce, civic and volunteer groups, school and church associations) can continue this development while allowing the primary focus to remain a court-affiliated effort.