During the period of the restorative justice or dispute resolution process, any applicable civil statute of limitations shall be tolled as to the parties. The tolling shall commence on the date the approved center accepts the case and shall end on the date of the last restorative justice or mediation session. This period shall be no longer than sixty days without consent of all the parties.
§ 25-2917.Tolling of civil statute of limitations; when.
Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section stops the clock on any civil statute of limitations while a dispute sits in a restorative justice or dispute resolution process at an approved center, pausing the deadline from the date the center accepts the case through the date of the last session, capped at sixty days absent the parties’ consent.
Full Text of § 25-2917
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 17; Laws 2019, LB595, § 18.
Plain-English Summary
A civil claim carries a deadline. Wait too long to sue, and the courthouse door closes no matter how strong the case. Section 25-2917 answers a practical worry that keeps people from trying mediation before suing: what if the dispute resolution process eats up the time left to file? The section tolls, or pauses, any applicable civil statute of limitations for as long as the dispute sits with an approved center.
The pause has clear edges. It starts on the date the approved center accepts the case, not the date someone first calls to ask about mediation, and it ends on the date of the last restorative justice or mediation session. Every day in between is a day off the limitations clock; once the last session ends, the clock starts running again from wherever it left off.
The pause also has a ceiling of sixty days unless every party agrees to stretch it further. A dispute that drags on for months at an approved center tolls the statute of limitations only through day sixty absent that consent, so parties who expect a longer process should agree in advance to extend it rather than assume the tolling period stretches to match however long the sessions run.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I take my dispute to mediation, does that eat into the time I have to file a lawsuit?
No. Section 25-2917 tolls the statute of limitations while the dispute sits with an approved center, so mediation time does not count against the deadline.
When does the tolling period start and end?
It starts the day the approved center accepts the case and ends the day of the last restorative justice or mediation session.
Is there a limit on how long the tolling can last?
Yes, sixty days, unless all parties consent to a longer period.
Does this tolling apply to any mediator, or only mediation through an approved center?
Only to restorative justice or dispute resolution processes at an approved center under the Dispute Resolution Act; see section 25-2919 on the act’s limited scope.
What happens to my limitations deadline once the mediation ends without a settlement?
The clock resumes running from where it paused, leaving the remaining days of the original limitations period untouched by the days the tolling covered.
Do I need to do anything to trigger the tolling, or does it happen automatically?
The tolling attaches once the approved center accepts the case; no separate filing with a court is required to start it.
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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