Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Services in Kent County

Community Resources

Community Mediation Upper Shore, Inc.
Call or Text: 410-810-9188
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.cmusmediation.org/

Community Mediation Upper Shore (CMUS) provides mediation services free of charge to every resident of Kent and Queen Anne’s counties with or without a court referral. Mediation is available at every stage of conflict and can be used preventatively. Mediation is confidential, non-judgmental and voluntary.

Mediation Services include but are not limited to:

Family
Parenting Plans
Elder Care
Family Reunification
Parent/Teen
Workplace
Coworkers/Colleagues
Employer/Employee
Consumer/Provider
Business Partners
Neighborhood
Landlord/Tenant
Neighbors
Roommates
HOAs/Residents

All CMUS mediation services are offered FREE OF CHARGE, at times/places convenient to you. We will work with you to determine what time and location fits your needs. Evening and weekend appointments are available.

Click here to learn more: https://www.cmusmediation.org/understanding-mediation-faq.html

Please visit the website for a complete listing of services and hours of operation.

Court Programs

Circuit Court for Kent County
103 N. Cross Street
Chestertown, MD 21620

If you have a family or civil non-domestic case pending in the Kent County Circuit Court, you may be able to use mediation or a settlement conference to resolve your case prior to trial. These processes are often used in family cases, such as contested custody and visitation, parenting plans/child access, and separation of marital property. The court may also use these processes for civil non-family cases, such as contract, personal injury, employment, environmental, workers’ compensation, and real property, to name a few.

Contact the court to learn more.

District Court of Maryland ADR Office
251 Rowe Boulevard
Suite 307
Annapolis, MD 21401
Website: www.mdcourts.gov/district/adr/home.html

If you have a civil case pending in the District Court of Maryland, you may be able to take advantage of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve your dispute. You can use ADR before your trial date and on the day of your trial. There are two types of ADR services offered, mediation and settlement conferences. ADR services in the District Court are free to the participants.

Day of Trial ADR services are offered in-person on the trial date. Pre-trial ADR services may be available in-person, remotely (on a computer, tablet, or smart phone), or both. The services offered at each District Court location vary; please visit the District Court ADR Office website to see what is available in this county. Please contact the ADR Office according to how you would like to participate in an ADR session, in-person or remotely:

Before Your Trial (available 3 weeks or more prior to your trial date)
Pre-Trial Mediation: Cases are referred to approved mediators or a partner organization and can be scheduled on a mutually agreeable date, time, and location convenient for all parties. If the case is not resolved at the pre-trial mediation, the case goes forward to trial on the scheduled trial date.

Pre-Trial Settlement Conference: Cases are referred to approved settlement conference attorneys. The District Court ADR Office will schedule sessions on a mutually agreeable date for all parties in the case. If the case is not resolved during the pre-trial settlement conference, the case goes forward to trial on the scheduled trial date.

Day of Trial
Day of Trial ADR: In the courtroom, cases may be referred to mediation or settlement conference by the judge, or parties may request these services if available. All parties in the case must appear for the case to be referred to ADR. The ADR process will take place in a private room in the courthouse. If the case is not resolved in ADR, the parties will return to the courtroom for the scheduled court process.

To learn more about alternative dispute resolution programs in the District Court of Maryland and to find out which services are available at the courthouse where your case is scheduled, visit “the” District Court ADR Office website, or call 410-260-1676 or 1-866-940-1729.

State’s Attorney’s Office Mediation Program
205 Cannon Street
#2
Chestertown, MD 21620
(p) 410-778-7450
Website: http://www.sao.kentcounty.com/

The State’s Attorney’s Mediation program for Kent County is served by the Upper Shore State’s Attorney’s Mediation Program. This program is a free service provided by the State’s Attorney’s Office and Community Mediation Upper Shore. It is for citizen-filed and some police-initiated misdemeanor cases as deemed appropriate. Cases typically referred to mediation include certain assault, theft, malicious destruction of property, telephone misuse, and trespassing. In nearly all mediation cases, the parties to the dispute share an ongoing relationship, such as family or extended family involved in domestic difficulties, former friends, associates, customer/vendor, employee/employer, landlord/tenant, roommates, or neighbors. Cases are referred to Community Mediation Upper Shore in advance of a trial.