Within fifteen (15) days of referral, the parties shall agree on a mediator or a mediation service. If the parties cannot agree, they shall notify the court. Only if the parties cannot agree on a mediator, the court will select a mediator who is recognized as a trained or experienced mediator in civil actions.
Rule 99.05.Appointment of mediator.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceWithin 15 days of referral, the parties must agree on a mediator or mediation service; if they cannot agree, they notify the court, which then appoints a mediator recognized as trained or experienced in civil actions.
Full Text of Rule 99.05
Amendment History
(Adopted January 14, 2022, effective February 1, 2022; amended December 9, 2022, effective January 1, 2023.) KENTUCKY RULES ANNOTATED Copyright © 2026 by Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. a member of the LexisNexis Group. All rights reserved
Plain-English Summary
Once a court refers a case to mediation, the parties have 15 days to pick a mediator or a mediation service together. Kentucky leaves the first choice to the parties.
If the parties cannot settle on a mediator within that window, they must tell the court. The court then steps in and appoints a mediator, but only someone recognized as trained or experienced in handling civil cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do parties have to pick a mediator in Kentucky?
CR 99.05 gives the parties 15 days from the referral to agree on a mediator or a mediation service.
What happens if the parties cannot agree on a mediator?
They must notify the court, and the court will select a mediator who is recognized as trained or experienced in mediating civil actions.
Can the court pick the mediator without the parties trying to agree first?
No. CR 99.05 lets the court name a mediator only after the parties notify the court that they cannot agree on one themselves.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 99.05). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: how is a mediator chosen in kentuckyky cr 99.05kentucky court appointed mediator15 days to agree on mediatorkentucky civil mediation mediator selection