Washington State Dispute Resolution Centers

DRCs do not offer counseling or therapy, and they do not give legal advice. DRCs were authorized by the state legislature in the 1984 Court Improvement Act. Each DRC is a private, nonprofit organization or a service of local government.

Most DRCs offer mediation as their primary conflict resolution service. In mediation, a trained, neutral person helps people discuss and resolve problems, or at least narrow and clarify issues. The process encourages joint problem-solving in which people gain an understanding of each other's point of view. Mediation provides a safe environment to talk through issues and feelings and to negotiate a mutually satisfactory solution. The mediator is a professionally trained community member whose role is to assist the parties in communicating and understanding their issues and interests. The mediator is not a decision-maker.

Any civil, nonviolent dispute is a candidate for mediation. Some DRCs also accept criminal cases. For mediation to be successful, every participant must be willing to enter into good faith negotiations. Typical cases handled by DRCs involve:

Landlords and tenants,
Consumers and merchants,
Neighbors,
Citizens and agencies,
Employees and employers,
Families, and
Divorcing and divorced couples.

DRCs also mediate small claims cases and public policy issues. DRCs provide free services or use a sliding fee scale based on income. Contact your local DRC (see listing below) for more information about their services, fees and mediator qualifications.

Association of Washington State DRCs Roster: