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Civil mediation in Florida is a confidential, voluntary dispute resolution process in which a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator — such as Ford J. Fegert, P.A. of Vero Beach — helps opposing parties negotiate a binding settlement outside of court.
As of 2026, Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 requires courts to order mediation in most civil cases before trial.
Civil mediators in Florida handle personal injury, wrongful death, insurance coverage, contract, real estate, admiralty, and healthcare disputes under the Mediation Confidentiality and Privilege Act, Florida Statutes §§ 44.401–44.406.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A. — Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator and Florida Bar Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law — has guided personal injury, maritime, insurance, healthcare, and commercial parties toward negotiated resolutions for more than 30 years in coastal and south-central Florida.
Ford J. Fegert provides certified civil mediation throughout coastal and south-central Florida.Contact Ford Fegert at 772-559-1984 for a free consultation — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Civil mediation is a structured, confidential negotiation process governed by the Florida Mediation Confidentiality and Privilege Act, Florida Statutes §§ 44.401–44.406. A Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator serves as a neutral facilitator with no financial stake in the outcome.
The mediator does not decide who is right. The mediator does not issue a ruling. The parties negotiate and sign any resulting agreement voluntarily.
Florida civil mediation applies two primary methodologies. Facilitative civil mediation prioritizes communication — the mediator helps each party understand the opposing position, identify shared interests beneath stated legal positions, and realistically assess litigation risk against the cost of a negotiated resolution.
Evaluative civil mediation applies when parties request an informed assessment of how a Florida court would likely value each side’s position — drawing directly on the mediator’s litigation experience.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., applies both facilitative and evaluative approaches to civil mediation, selecting the methodology that best fits the complexity of the dispute and the stage of any pending Florida litigation.
Personal Injury and Wrongful Death: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates negligence claims between injured plaintiffs and defendant individuals, businesses, and insurers without a Florida state court trial. Ford J. Fegert litigated personal injury matters on both sides of the table throughout his 30-year career — providing firsthand knowledge of damages valuation that accelerates civil mediation settlements.
Insurance Claims and Coverage Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates disputes between policyholders and insurers over coverage denials, claim valuations, bad-faith claims handling, and policy interpretation. Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all mediation communications from disclosure, allowing insurers and policyholders to negotiate candidly without creating a public record of their coverage positions or reserve figures.
Contract and Commercial Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates breach-of-contract allegations, commercial agreement disputes, and service disputes between Florida businesses and individuals. Ford J. Fegert applies the same structured negotiation process across industries — from marine commerce to healthcare to residential real estate.
Real Estate and Property Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates purchase agreement conflicts, title disputes, landlord-tenant disagreements, and construction defect allegations throughout coastal and south-central Florida. Florida’s real estate market generates a high volume of transaction disputes, which civil mediation resolves faster and at a lower cost than Florida circuit court litigation.
Admiralty and Maritime Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates Jones Act seaman injury claims, vessel ownership conflicts, marine insurance coverage disputes, maritime lien priority questions, and charter party disagreements.
Admiralty and maritime mediation with Ford J. Fegert draws on Florida Bar Board Certification in Admiralty and Maritime Law — a credential held by fewer attorneys in Florida than any other Florida Bar specialty certification.
Healthcare and Medical Malpractice Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates malpractice claims between patients and healthcare providers, billing conflicts, and professional liability disputes through medical malpractice and healthcare mediation. Ford J. Fegert represented both plaintiffs and defendants in medical malpractice litigation throughout his career, providing direct subject-matter expertise that general civil mediators cannot match.
Business and Partnership Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates partnership disagreements, shareholder conflicts, vendor disputes, and commercial negligence claims between Florida businesses.
Civil mediation preserves commercial relationships that adversarial litigation permanently damages — a decisive advantage when parties need to continue doing business after the dispute resolves.
Transportation and Cargo Disputes: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates freight claims, carrier liability conflicts, and transportation contract disputes between shippers, carriers, and cargo owners throughout Florida.
Ford J. Fegert’s background in admiralty and maritime law provides direct expertise in cargo and transportation disputes that cross into federal maritime jurisdiction.
| Feature | Civil Mediation | Florida State Court Litigation |
| Time to resolution | Hours to days | One to three years average |
| Cost | Significantly lower | Significantly higher |
| Privacy | Confidential — no public record | Public court record |
| Party control | Full control over outcome | The judge or jury decides |
| Relationship preservation | Possible | Rarely |
| Outcome certainty | Parties negotiate certainty | No guaranteed outcome |
| Finality | Binding signed agreement | Subject to full appellate review |
Florida civil litigation produces a predictable cost pattern. Depositions begin within six months of filing. Expert witnesses are retained within twelve. Trial — if it occurs — arrives one to three years after the initial complaint.
Each phase generates attorney fees, expert costs, and opportunity costs that accumulate on both sides regardless of outcome.
Civil mediation compresses that entire timeline into a single session. Both parties redirect litigation expenses toward resolution rather than combat.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates personal injury, insurance, contract, real estate, maritime, and commercial disputes throughout Florida.Schedule a free consultation at 772-559-1984 — confidential, no obligation, available 24/7.
Ford J. Fegert spent more than 30 years litigating personal injury, medical malpractice, maritime, and insurance matters in Florida state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Ford J. Fegert represented clients on both sides of civil disputes — plaintiffs and defendants, policyholders and insurers, seamen and vessel owners — across every civil dispute category Ford J. Fegert now mediates.
Ford J. Fegert understands how Florida civil courts evaluate evidence, how insurance adjusters calculate claim reserves, how medical experts value malpractice damages, and how maritime attorneys assess Jones Act liability — because Ford J. Fegert litigated all of those questions throughout his career.
Both sides in a Ford J. Fegert civil mediation receive a process guided by a mediator who has stood where each party is standing.
Ford J. Fegert mediates civil disputes throughout coastal and south-central Florida, including Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Melbourne, Port Canaveral, Orlando and surrounding Indian River County communities. Online mediation is available for parties whose counsel or principals are located outside Florida.
| Credential | Issuing Body | Year Earned |
| Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator | Florida Supreme Court | 2005 |
| Florida Bar Board Certified — Admiralty and Maritime Law | The Florida Bar | 1997 |
| Proctor in Admiralty | Maritime Law Association of the United States | 1991 |
| J.D. — Admiralty and Maritime Law Emphasis | Tulane University School of Law | 1984 |
Pre-Session Review: Ford J. Fegert, P.A. reviews all submitted mediation briefs, case summaries, relevant contracts, and expert materials before the session date — so the mediator arrives prepared, not left to be informed at the table for the first time.
Opening Joint Session: Ford J. Fegert opens each civil mediation with all parties and their counsel present. Ford J. Fegert explains the voluntary and confidential nature of the process under Florida Statutes § 44.405, confirms each party’s authority to settle, and establishes the framework for productive negotiation.
Private Caucuses Ford J. Fegert meets privately with each party in separate caucuses. Ford J. Fegert explores the interests underlying each party’s legal position, stress-tests each side’s litigation risk assessment against the actual evidentiary record, and identifies settlement structures neither party has fully considered.
Settlement Agreement: Ford J. Fegert documents agreed settlement terms in a written agreement signed by all parties — a binding, enforceable contract under Florida law. Florida courts enforce civil mediation settlement agreements as binding contracts without further litigation.
Impasse: When full agreement is not reached on the session date, Ford J. Fegert preserves all partial agreements that narrow remaining disputed issues — reducing ongoing litigation costs for both sides.
No statement, admission, or document produced during civil mediation is admissible in any subsequent Florida court proceeding under Florida Statutes § 44.405.
What is civil mediation in Florida?
Civil mediation in Florida is a confidential, voluntary process under Florida Statutes §§ 44.401–44.406 where a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator — such as Ford J. Fegert, P.A. of Vero Beach — helps opposing parties negotiate a binding settlement outside of Florida state or federal court.
Is civil mediation confidential in Florida?
Yes. Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all civil mediation communications from disclosure in any subsequent legal proceeding. No public court record documents the parties’ positions, valuations, or settlement terms during Florida civil mediation.
Is a civil mediation settlement legally binding in Florida?
Yes. A written settlement agreement signed by all parties during Florida civil mediation constitutes a legally binding and enforceable contract. Florida courts enforce civil mediation settlement agreements under Florida contract law without additional litigation.
What types of disputes does civil mediation resolve in Florida?
Florida civil mediation resolves personal injury claims, wrongful death disputes, insurance coverage conflicts, contract disagreements, real estate disputes, admiralty and maritime claims, medical malpractice cases, business partnership conflicts, and commercial negligence matters throughout Florida state and federal jurisdictions.
How long does a civil mediation session take in Florida?
Florida civil mediation sessions typically last three to eight hours, depending on the complexity of the dispute. Simple two-party contract disputes may be resolved in a half day. Complex multi-party personal injury or insurance coverage cases may require a full day or follow-up sessions scheduled within days.
Can civil mediation proceed while a Florida lawsuit is already filed?
Yes. As of 2026, Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 requires Florida courts to order mediation in most civil cases before trial. A successful Ford J. Fegert civil mediation settlement resolves the case and terminates all pending litigation. An unsuccessful session leaves all litigation rights fully intact.
What happens if civil mediation does not produce a settlement?
When Florida civil mediation ends without a signed agreement, all parties retain their full litigation rights. No statement, admission, or document produced during the session is admissible in any subsequent Florida court proceeding under Florida Statutes § 44.405. Partial agreements reached during the session remain enforceable.
Why choose Ford J. Fegert, P.A., for civil mediation in Florida?
Ford J. Fegert holds Florida Supreme Court Certification as a Civil Mediator and Florida Bar Board Certification in Admiralty and Maritime Law — and spent more than 30 years litigating personal injury, maritime, insurance, and medical malpractice disputes in Florida courts before focusing exclusively on mediation and arbitration. Ford J. Fegert mediates civil disputes throughout coastal and south-central Florida, including Vero Beach and Fort Pierce.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A. — Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator serving Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, and coastal Florida — has resolved civil disputes for more than 30 years. Call 772-559-1984 or contact Ford Fegert online to schedule your free consultation today.
