As used in the Dispute Resolution Act:
§ 1802.Definitions
Chapter 37: Dispute Resolution Act · Last amended November 1, 2000 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceDefines the six core terms used throughout the Dispute Resolution Act -- initiating party, mediation, mediator, party, resolution, and responding party -- setting the vocabulary the rest of the chapter builds on.
Full Text of § 1802
1. "Initiating party" means the party who first seeks mediation.
2. "Mediation" means the process of resolving a dispute with the assistance of a mediator outside of a formal court proceeding.
3. "Mediator" means any person certified pursuant to the provisions of the Dispute Resolution Act or the District Court Mediation Act to assist in the resolution of a dispute.
4. "Party" means an individual person, company, or governmental agency.
5. "Resolution" means the final determination of the dispute, arrived at by the parties upon their own initiative or by anyone authorized in writing to act in their behalf or with the help of a mediator.
6. "Responding party" means the party who is named by the initiating party as the other party in a dispute where mediation is sought.
Amendment History
Added by Laws 1983, HB 1136, c. 78, §2, emerg. eff. 7/1/1983; Amended by Laws 2000, SB 1421, c. 323, §1, eff. 11/1/2000.
Plain-English Summary
Section 1802 supplies the working vocabulary for the Dispute Resolution Act. "Mediation" is the process of resolving a dispute with a mediator's help outside a formal court proceeding, and a "mediator" is anyone certified under the Dispute Resolution Act or the District Court Mediation Act to help with that resolution. A "party" can be an individual, a company, or a governmental agency.
The remaining terms sort out who's who in a dispute: the "initiating party" is whoever first seeks mediation, the "responding party" is whoever the initiating party names as the other side, and "resolution" is the dispute's final determination, whether the parties reach it on their own, through someone authorized to act for them, or with a mediator's help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Oklahoma law define "mediation"?
As "the process of resolving a dispute with the assistance of a mediator outside of a formal court proceeding."
Who counts as a "party" under the Dispute Resolution Act?
"An individual person, company, or governmental agency."
What's the difference between the "initiating party" and the "responding party"?
The initiating party is whoever first seeks mediation; the responding party is whoever the initiating party names as the other side of the dispute.
Who can serve as a "mediator" under this law?
Anyone certified under the Dispute Resolution Act or qualified under the District Court Mediation Act to help resolve a dispute.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
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