Small claims and money disputes
Settle it before the hearing date.
Salt City Mediation offers online mediation for Utah money disputes such as unpaid invoices, deposits, loans, and contract disagreements, including small claims matters up to $20,000, with a written agreement drafted and signed in one two-hour video session.
What this is for
Money owed
An unpaid invoice, a personal loan between friends, a bill one person thinks was never agreed to.
Deposits
A security deposit that did not come back, or came back short, and a landlord and tenant who each have a list.
Contracts and work
The job was done, or half done, and nobody agrees what was promised or what it is worth.
Property and damage
A fender bender, a borrowed thing that broke, a fence that ended up on the wrong side of the line.
Roommates and shared costs
Who owes what on the lease, the utilities, or the furniture someone took.
Already filed
A hearing is on the calendar and you would rather settle on your own terms than wait for a judge.
Why mediate a money dispute
Utah small claims court handles disputes up to $20,000, and trials are typically set 30 to 60 days after filing. That is the fast lane of the court system, and it still means weeks of waiting, a morning at the courthouse, and a decision made by someone who has fifteen minutes for your case. You might win. You might not. Either way the relationship with the other person, if there is one, is usually done.
In mediation you decide the number together, in one session, and the agreement is written and signed on the call. People pay what they agreed to far more reliably than what they were ordered to. If you have already filed, a signed agreement can generally be submitted to the court. If you have not filed, you keep that option.
How a session goes
A short private call with each of you first. Then about two hours by video. Each person says what happened and what they need, uninterrupted. The mediator helps you separate the facts you agree on from the story each of you is telling, list the actual questions, and work through options: a number, a payment schedule, a repair, a return. The agreement is written up in plain language and signed on the call. See how it works for the full six steps.
What it costs
$200 per hour plus a one-time $35 admin fee, two-hour minimum, so $435 for a first session, usually split. For a dispute under a few hundred dollars that is probably not worth it, and we will say so in the free consult. For most disputes in the thousands, it is a fraction of what the dispute is costing you in time already. Full pricing.
What we are not
Not a law firm, and not a collection agency. The mediator is neutral, gives no legal advice, and cannot force anyone to pay or to attend. If the other person refuses to engage, small claims court is still there, and the small claims guide walks through the timeline.
Common questions
Is a mediated agreement enforceable if the other person does not pay?
Generally, a signed written agreement is a contract between you. If your case is already in court, the agreement can usually be submitted to the court. If the other person then does not perform, you have the options a contract gives you. For your specific situation, ask an attorney.
Can we mediate before anyone files in small claims?
Yes. Private mediation is voluntary and needs no case number. Many people mediate first precisely to avoid filing. If it does not settle, you keep every option, including small claims, which in Utah covers disputes up to $20,000.
What if the amount is small?
Tell us the number in the consult. For disputes under a few hundred dollars, a two-hour session usually costs more than it is worth, and we will say so. A direct conversation, or small claims court, may serve you better.
Do both of us have to agree to mediate?
Yes. Mediation only works when both people choose it. If the other person is hesitant, we can suggest how to extend the invitation, and sometimes the court itself will encourage mediation once a case is filed.
David Ring III
Mediator and founder of Salt City Mediation LLC. Founder of EmpathEase, an app for practicing empathy and Nonviolent Communication. Completed Utah Dispute Resolution's 40-hour mediation training in 2026.