Civil Mediation

Resolving Money Troubles

When money is tight, conflict can escalate quickly. Disputes between landlords and tenants, between creditors and debtors, and even between neighbors can end up in General Sessions court, where judges rarely have time to hear the whole story. And once a judgement is entered by a court, participants are often left trying to figure out how to satisfy the terms that they may or may not fully understand.


Mediation, which happens in a private room, helps the participants create a settlement agreement that satisfies the needs of all sides. It also helps participants create detailed and realistic plans for carrying through on all of the terms of the agreement.

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As we learned more about each other, we realized that we have more similarities than we expected. We both have good intentions and we want to be good neighbors to each other.

Civil Mediation Participant

Resources

Navigating your case can feel intimidating. We've compiled resources to help.

We offer a sliding scale to make our mediation services available to those not directly referred to us by a Tennessee Court.


View Sliding Scale

Mediation is a voluntary process. If you need help navigating a conflict with your landlord, you may use this sample language as a framework to offer mediation to your landlord and find out if they are willing to participate in mediation.

Download Sample Language

Legal Aid has provided helpful guides on your rights and responsibilities as a renter.




View Directory

NCRC no longer provides rent relief. Tennessee 2-1-1 has a directory of local rent assistance and other resources.

Find Resources

If you are in need of legal advice, we suggest contacting the TN Alliance for Legal Services.



Contact TALS

If you are in need of free legal counsel, we suggest contacting the Legal Aid Society or the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association.

Contact LAS Contact NHBA

FAQ

  • Do I have to live in Nashville to mediate?

    No. NCRC provides in-person mediation at the General Sessions Courts of Davidson County (in Nashville) and Sumner County (in Gallatin). We also provide remote mediation via video or phone conferencing for people in other counties. For more information, email faith@nashvilleconflict.org.

  • I am interested in mediating, but I have not asked the other side about it yet. Can you help me?

    Since mediation is a voluntary process, all parties involved in the mediation must agree to participate. It works best if you reach out to the other side to offer mediation as a possible solution instead of court. If they agree to mediation, both sides should reach out individually to let us know you are interested in mediation, and we will take it from there.

  • A judge ordered my case to mediate, can you help with that?

    Absolutely! Contact us to discuss next steps. 

  • Will the mediator force me to agree to something I do not want to agree to?

    No, participation in mediation is voluntary, as is your decision to reach an agreement in mediation. The mediator is there as an unbiased, neutral party to help facilitate a conversation, and hopefully a resolution, between yourself and the other side in a safe and equitable way. If at any point during your mediation you decide you do not like where things are going, you have the option to end the mediation, as will the other side. 

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Ask additional questions, voice concerns, or inquire about mediation services.

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