44.108  Funding of mediation and arbitration.--

(1)  Mediation and arbitration should be accessible to all parties regardless of financial status. A filing fee of $1 is levied on all proceedings in the circuit or county courts to fund mediation and arbitration services which are the responsibility of the Supreme Court pursuant to the provisions of s. 44.106. The clerk of the court shall forward the moneys collected to the Department of Revenue for deposit in the state courts' Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund.

(2)  When court-ordered mediation services are provided by a circuit court's mediation program, the following fees, unless otherwise established in the General Appropriations Act, shall be collected by the clerk of court:

(a)  Eighty dollars per person per session in family mediation when the parties' combined income is greater than $50,000, but less than $100,000 per year;

(b)  Forty dollars per person per session in family mediation when the parties' combined income is less than $50,000; or

(c)  Forty dollars per person per session in county court cases.

No mediation fees shall be assessed under this subsection in eviction cases, against a party found to be indigent, or for any small claims action. Fees collected by the clerk of court pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the state courts' Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund to fund court-ordered mediation. The clerk of court may deduct $1 per fee assessment for processing this fee.

History.--s. 6, ch. 89-31; s. 8, ch. 90-188; s. 6, ch. 91-152; s. 8, ch. 2001-122; s. 12, ch. 2001-380; s. 66, ch. 2003-402; s. 44, ch. 2004-265.