mediação

A voluntary and confidential stage of a dispute: with the help of a mediator, the parties try to reach agreement themselves rather than waiting for a judge's decision. The mediator decides nothing and forces no one — they only guide the conversation. If you reach agreement, it is written down and signed by the parties, and the judge approves it in a ruling, giving it the force of a court decision. In a magistrates' court, settling at this stage brings the bill down from €70 to €50, €25 from each side; if it does not work, the case goes on to a hearing.