A civil action shall be ordered to arbitration or arbitration in conjunction with mediation upon stipulation of the parties. A civil action may be ordered to arbitration or arbitration in conjunction with mediation upon motion of any party or by the court, if the judge determines the action to be of such a nature that arbitration could be of benefit to the litigants or the court. Under no circumstances may the following categories of actions be referred to arbitration:
(1) Bond estreatures.
(2) Habeas corpus or other extraordinary writs.
(3) Bond validations.
(4) Civil or criminal contempt.
(5) Such other matters as may be specified by order of the chief judge in the circuit.
Committee Notes
1994 Amendment. The Supreme Court Committee on Mediation and Arbitration Rules encourages crafting a combination of dispute resolution processes without creating an unreasonable barrier to the traditional court system.
January 1, 2026 Florida Rules of Civil ProcedureBrowse related blog articles to read more or browse blog articles related Fla.R.Civ.P. Rule 1.800
Rule Update: This rule is current through the Florida Supreme Court’s April 1, 2026 amendments (In re: Amendments to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.350 and 1.370, 426 So. 3d 466), which require requests and responses under Rules 1.350 and 1.370 to be served on all parties. Cox Law, PLLC reviews this page against each Supreme Court rules update.
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