Section 201.251  Waiver and Preclusion of Privilege

a)         A privilege under Section 201.250 may be waived in a record or orally during a proceeding if it is expressly waived by all participants to the mediation, and in the case of the privilege of a mediator, if it is expressly waived by the mediator.

b)         A person that discloses or makes a representation about a mediation communication which prejudices another person in a proceeding is precluded from asserting a privilege under Section 201.250, but only to the extent necessary for the person prejudiced to respond to the representation or disclosure.

c)         A person that intentionally uses a mediation to plan, attempt to commit or commit a crime, or to conceal an ongoing crime or ongoing criminal activity is precluded from asserting a privilege under Section 201.250. [710 ILCS 35/5]

Section 201.252  Exceptions to Privilege

a)         There is no privilege under Section 201.250 for a mediation communication that is:

1)         in a written agreement resulting from the mediation;

2)         available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140] or made during a session or a mediation which is open, or is required by law to be open, to the public;

3)         a threat or statement of a plan to inflict bodily injury or commit a crime of violence;

4)         intentionally used to plan a crime, attempt to commit a crime, or to conceal an ongoing crime or ongoing criminal activity;

5)         sought or offered to prove or disprove a claim or complaint of professional misconduct or malpractice filed against a mediator; or

6)         except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), sought or offered to prove or disprove a claim or complaint of professional misconduct or malpractice filed against a mediation participant or representative of a participant based on conduct occurring during a mediation.

b)         There is no privilege under Section 201.250 if a court, administrative agency, or arbitrator finds, after a hearing in camera, that the person seeking discovery or the proponent of the evidence has shown that the evidence is not otherwise available, that there is a need for the evidence that substantially outweighs the interest in protecting confidentiality, and that the mediation communication is sought or offered in:

1)         a court proceeding involving a felony; or

2)         except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), a proceeding:

A)        to prove a claim arising out of a mediated agreement;

B)        to rescind or reform a mediated agreement; or

C)        in which a defense is prepared against a claim arising out of a mediated agreement.

c)         A  mediator may not be compelled to provide evidence of a mediation communication referred to in subsection (a)(6) or (b)(2).

d)         If a mediation communication is not privileged under subsection (a) or (b), only the portion of the communication necessary for the application of the exception from nondisclosure may be admitted.  Admission of evidence under subsection (a) or (b) does not render the evidence, or any other mediation communication, discoverable or admissible for any other purpose.  [710 ILCS 35/6]

Section 201.260  Duration of Mediation

Unless otherwise agreed to by all of the mediation participants, the mediation process shall be completed no later than 45 days after the Chief Clerk's receipt of a joint request for mediation.  In no event shall the mediation process be extended beyond the statutory deadline of an underlying pending docket, unless the statute permits a waiver of the deadline and all of the mediation participants and any non-mediating parties waive the deadline.