In actions submitted to mediation pursuant to Section 1775.3, a mediator shall be selected for the action within 30 days of its submission to mediation. The method of selection and qualification of the mediator shall be as the parties determine. If the parties are unable to agree on a mediator within 15 days of the date of submission of the action to mediation, the court may select a mediator pursuant to standards adopted by the Judicial Council.
§ 1775.6.Time For Selection of Mediator; Method of Selection and Qualification
Title 11.6. Civil Action Mediation · Enacted 1993 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1775.6 requires a mediator to be selected within 30 days after a case is submitted to mediation, lets the parties agree on their own method and qualifications for choosing that mediator, and allows the court to appoint one under Judicial Council standards if the parties can't agree within 15 days.
Full Text of § 1775.6
Plain-English Summary
Once a case under Section 1775.3 heads into mediation, this section sets the clock for getting a mediator in place: 30 days from submission. Within that window, the parties get to decide, on their own terms, how the mediator will be chosen and what qualifications that mediator should have; the statute doesn't impose a fixed method or credential requirement.
If the parties can't reach agreement within 15 days of submission, the court steps in and selects a mediator itself, following standards the Judicial Council adopts, so the case doesn't stall waiting for the parties to work it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly must a mediator be selected once a case is submitted to mediation?
Within 30 days of submission.
Who decides how the mediator is chosen and what qualifications are required?
The parties themselves determine the method of selection and the mediator's qualifications.
What happens if the parties can't agree on a mediator?
If they haven't agreed within 15 days of submission, the court may select a mediator following Judicial Council standards.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1261, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1994.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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