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Rule 5:25-5.Court Staff Mediators and Hearing Officers

Last amended May 1, 2025 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5:25-5 provides that court staff mediators and hearing officers are Judiciary employees delivering complementary dispute resolution services in the Family Part, under standards the Administrative Director sets.

Full Text of Rule 5:25-5

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Court staff mediators and hearing officers are employed by the Judiciary to provide complementary dispute resolution services in the Family Part. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall prescribe the standards governing these services.
End

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “Note” beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; a “Source” line names the former rule the current one grew out of, and “R. (1969)” citations refer to the earlier numbering it replaced.

Note: Adopted April 21, 2025 to be effective May 1, 2025.

Plain-English Summary

A short institutional rule. Court staff mediators and hearing officers are employed by the Judiciary to provide complementary dispute resolution services in the Family Part.

Their standards are not spelled out here — the Administrative Director of the Courts prescribes them, which keeps operational detail out of the rulebook.

This rule now carries what three deleted rules in this group once covered separately: referees, child support hearing officers and domestic violence hearing officers each had their own rule, and those numbers are retained in the index as deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are court staff mediators and hearing officers?

Judiciary employees who provide complementary dispute resolution services in the Family Part.

What standards govern them?

The Administrative Director of the Courts prescribes the standards governing these services.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court, Part V (N.J. Ct. R. 5:25-5). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: hearing officerscourt staff mediatorscomplementary dispute resolutionchild support hearing officer