Confidentially Policy

Confidentially in mediation is important to encourage all participants to speak truthfully and candidly, to enable a full exploration of issues in the dispute, and to reach a complete and satisfactory resolution.  Confidentially is governed by law in Rhode Island General Laws § 9-19-44 as follows:

 9-19-44 Mediator confidentiality in mediation proceedings. – (a) All memoranda and other work product, including files, reports, interviews, case summaries, and notes, prepared by a mediator shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure in any subsequent judicial or administrative proceeding involving any of the parties to any mediation in which the materials are generated; nor shall a mediator be compelled to disclose in any subsequent judicial or administrative proceeding any communication made to him or her in the course of, or relating to the subject matter of, any mediation by a participant in the mediation process. For the purposes of this section, “mediation” shall mean a process in which an impartial third party who is a qualified mediator, who lacks authority to impose a solution, helps participants reach their own agreement for resolving a dispute, whether or not a judicial action has been filed; and a “mediator” shall mean an impartial person who enters into a written agreement with the parties to assist them in resolving their dispute and who has completed at least thirty (30) hours of training in mediation, or has two (2) years of professional experience as a mediator, or has been appointed to mediate by a judicial or governmental body.