Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2916 describes what a signed mediation agreement must cover — the settlement and each party’s future responsibilities, enforceable as a court order if the case was court-referred and the court approves — and what a restorative justice reparation plan agreement must set out, including a deadline for completing the agreed reparations.
Full Text of § 25-2916
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(1) If the parties involved in mediation reach an agreement, the agreement may be reduced to writing and signed by the parties. The agreement shall set forth the settlement of the issues and the future responsibilities of each party. If a court referred the case, the agreement as signed and approved by the parties may be presented to the court as a stipulation and, if approved by the court, shall be enforceable as an order of the court.
(2) If the parties involved in a restorative justice program reach a reparation plan agreement, the agreement may be reduced to writing and signed by the parties. The agreement shall set forth the reparations agreed upon by the parties to repair the specific circumstances of the offense. These may include, but are not limited to, service to the victim, an apology to the victim, financial restitution, services for the individual who caused the harm, community service, or any other reparation agreed upon by the parties. The agreement shall specify the time period during which such individual must comply with the requirements specified therein.
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 16; Laws 2019, LB595, § 17.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2916 covers the last step of a successful mediation or restorative justice program: putting the outcome in writing. When mediation ends in agreement, the parties can reduce it to writing and sign it, and the agreement has to lay out how the issues were settled and what each party is responsible for going forward. If a court referred the case, the signed agreement can go back to that court as a stipulation, and once the court approves it, the agreement becomes enforceable as a court order.
Restorative justice ends the same way, though the content differs. When the parties reach a reparation plan agreement, they can put it in writing and sign it, setting out the reparations agreed to repair the specific circumstances of the offense — service to the victim, an apology, financial restitution, services for the person who caused the harm, community service, or any other reparation the parties agree on. The reparation plan agreement also has to specify the time period during which the person must complete what it requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a mediation agreement have to be in writing?
The statute provides that if the parties reach agreement, it may be reduced to writing and signed; that written, signed agreement is what can be presented to a referring court and enforced as an order.
Can a mediation agreement become a binding court order?
Yes, if the case was court-referred and the parties present the signed agreement as a stipulation the court approves.
What has to be in a restorative justice reparation plan agreement?
The specific reparations agreed to — such as service to the victim, an apology, financial restitution, services for the person who caused the harm, or community service — and the time period for completing them.
Is there a deadline for completing a reparation plan agreement?
Yes. The agreement itself must specify the time period during which the individual must comply with its requirements.
What kinds of reparations can a reparation plan agreement include?
Service to the victim, an apology, financial restitution, services for the individual who caused the harm, community service, or any other reparation agreed upon by the parties.
What happens to a mediation agreement if the case was not referred by a court?
The statute addresses court enforcement specifically for court-referred cases; the written, signed agreement still sets out the settlement and each party’s future responsibilities regardless.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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