Athens County Court of Common Pleas, Ohio Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

An attorney who needs to intervene in a case where they are not a party must first contact the Clerk of Courts and request non-party filer access in the e-Filing System.

An attorney/filer who needs to file a motion to intervene in a case in which he/she is not a party, shall first contact the Clerk of Courts and request that he/she be added in the e-Filing System as a non-party filer to that case.

CRITICAL

The mediator must inform the court who attended, whether the case settled, and whether mediation efforts will continue or the case will return for further proceedings; other information may be communicated only with consent from all holders of the mediation privilege, including the mediator.

The Mediator shall inform the Court who attended the mediation, whether the case settled, and whether efforts to settle the case through mediation are being continued or if the case is being returned to the Court for further proceedings. No other information shall be directly or indirectly communicated by the Mediator to the Court, unless all who hold a mediation privilege, including the Mediator, have consented to such disclosure.

CRITICAL

Counsel and parties must not communicate with the arbitrators about the merits before the hearing begins.

There shall be no communications by counsel or the parties with the arbitrators concerning the merits of the controversy prior to the commencement of the hearing.

CRITICAL

The mediator must keep mediation communications confidential unless all holders of the mediation privilege, including the mediator, consent to disclosure.

The Mediator shall keep mediation communications confidential, unless all who hold a mediation privilege, including the Mediator, have consented to such disclosure.

CRITICAL

Parties and counsel must advise the assigned judge or magistrate of relevant known domestic violence allegations, including allegations learned after the referral order and before mediation concludes.

All parties and counsel shall advise the assigned judge or magistrate of any domestic violence allegations known to them to exist or to have existed in the past, or which become known to them following entry of the order but before conclusion of all mediation proceedings, which allegations involve any two or more persons whose attendance is required by the referral order.

WARNING

If a filer discovers a correctable submission error, the filer should contact the Clerk's office as soon as possible and provide the case and document numbers.

If the filer discovers an error in his/her submission that may be corrected (e.g., having selected the incorrect document type), the filer should, as soon as possible after the error is discovered, contact the Clerk's office and provide the case number and document number for which a correction is being requested.

WARNING

Judges may not speak with parties outside formal court proceedings.

Please note that the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits judges from speaking with the parties outside of formal court proceedings.

WARNING

Before the court-ordered psychologist issues a report, ex parte communication with that psychologist requires Court approval; a party may communicate freely with a psychologist it retained.

Prior to the issuance of the psychologist's report, ex parte communication with the court ordered psychologist is permitted only with Court approval. However, a party may still communicate freely with any psychologist retained by that party.

WARNING

For a correctable submission error, the filer should contact the Clerk’s office as soon as possible and provide the case number and document number.

If the filer discovers an error in their submission that may be corrected, such as having chosen the incorrect document type, the filer should, as soon as possible after the error is discovered, contact the Clerk's office and provide the case number and document number for which a correction is being requested.

INFO

Contact

Phone

Phone

(740) 420-5110

For questions not answered by the handbook, you may call the court administrator at (740) 420-5110.

If you have any questions that this handbook does not answer, you may contact our court administrator in the Pickaway County office at (740) 420-5110.

INFO

A pro se litigant may apply to the Clerk for an e-filing user name.

The pro se litigant may apply to the Clerk for an e-filing electronic identifier (user name) as stated in Section V.