9/1/2024Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 366, 2024 General Session2024Mediation requirement.There is established a mandatory domestic mediation program to help reduce the time and tensions associated with obtaining a divorce.If there are any remaining contested issues after the filing of a response to a petition for divorce, the parties shall participate in good faith in at least one session of mediation. The requirement described in Subsection (2)(a) does not preclude the entry of pretrial orders before mediation takes place.The parties shall use a mediator qualified to mediate domestic disputes under criteria established by the Judicial Council in accordance with Section 78B-6-205.Unless otherwise ordered by the court or the parties agree upon a different payment arrangement, the cost of mediation shall be divided equally between the parties.The director of dispute resolution programs for the courts, the court, or the mediator may excuse either party from the requirement to mediate for good cause.A mediation described in this section shall be conducted in accordance with the Utah Rules of Court-Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution.