(a) The court may order the parties in any civil action to participate in mediation.
Rule 30.Mediation
Group VI: Alternatives to Trial · Last amended October 1, 2013 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 30 authorizes the court to order parties into mediation, lets parties choose another form of alternative dispute resolution or private mediation instead, and keeps any resulting proceeding nonbinding unless the parties agree otherwise.
Full Text of Rule 30
(b) If the parties agree, they may elect a form of alternative dispute resolution other than mediation ( e.g. neutral evaluation, non-binding arbitration or binding arbitration).
(c) The parties may agree to engage in private mediation instead of or in addition to the court-ordered mediation.
(d) The parties may also request that the presiding judge assign a complex case for intensive mediation to be conducted by another judge.
(e) Unless the parties agree otherwise, proceedings under this rule are nonbinding and shall not impair the litigants' trial rights.
Amendment History
Adopted May 22, 2013, eff. October 1, 2013.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 30 gives the Superior Court authority to send any civil case to mediation. It is a short rule, but a flexible one: parties who would rather try something else — neutral evaluation, non-binding arbitration, or binding arbitration — can agree to that instead of standard mediation. They can also opt for private mediation on their own, either replacing or supplementing the court-ordered process, and they may ask the presiding judge to hand a complex case off to another judge for intensive mediation.
Whatever form the process takes, Rule 30(e) keeps it nonbinding by default. Unless the parties agree otherwise, nothing that happens in mediation forecloses a litigant's right to go to trial. The rule sets the framework; the details of court-ordered mediation, ADR generally, arbitration, and judge-conducted intensive mediation are filled in by Rules 32, 33, and 34.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the court force parties into mediation?
Yes. Rule 30(a) allows the court to order the parties in any civil action to participate in mediation.
Do the parties have to accept mediation, or can they choose something else?
If the parties agree, Rule 30(b) lets them substitute a different form of alternative dispute resolution, such as neutral evaluation, non-binding arbitration, or binding arbitration, in place of mediation.
Can parties hire their own mediator instead of using the court's process?
Yes. Rule 30(c) allows the parties to agree to private mediation, either instead of or in addition to the mediation the court has ordered.
How does a complex case get assigned to intensive mediation?
Rule 30(d) lets the parties ask the presiding judge to assign a complex case to another judge for intensive mediation, a process spelled out further in Rule 34.
Is a party bound by what happens in mediation under this rule?
No, not unless the parties agree otherwise. Rule 30(e) states that proceedings under the rule are nonbinding and do not impair a litigant's right to go to trial.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Comments, and amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the New Hampshire Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted
by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: mediationcourt-ordered mediationADR New Hampshireprivate mediation