In California, a mediated settlement agreement can be enforced—even if the other party later refuses to sign—when it already meets statutory requirements (most commonly under Evidence Code § 1123 or Code of Civil Procedure § 664.6). This issue arises frequently after mediation, when parties believe they “have a deal,” but one side balks at paperwork. […]
In many U.S. jurisdictions, a mediated settlement agreement can be enforced even if one side later refuses to sign “final paperwork,” as long as the essential terms were agreed to and the agreement meets statutory or contract requirements. This issue commonly arises when parties leave mediation with a term sheet or handwritten deal, but a
In California, a mediated settlement agreement can often be enforced by motion—without a new lawsuit—if it meets Code of Civil Procedure § 664.6 or Evidence Code § 1123 requirements. Parties sometimes refuse to sign final “long-form” paperwork after mediation despite having already agreed in writing. This article explains the fastest enforcement paths, what language makes
