A draft law aiming to amend Law 4512/17.01.2018 on mediation in civil and commercial matters is being discussed in order to be voted by the Hellenic Parliament.The provisions of this draft law, in case it is voted by the Hellenic Parliament, shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Greek Government Gazette, except for the provision on the mandatory initial mediation session, which shall enter into force on November 30, 2019. 

The mandatory initial mediation session shall be a meeting of informative nature between the parties and the mediator, where the mediator shall explain the proceedings, the aims and the operation of the mediation. This meeting shall take place within fifteen (15) days from the notification of the relevant request and the parties may attend it without a lawyer’s assistance. The obligation to follow an initial mediation session shall concern a) family disputes, with the exemption of matrimonial issues related to divorce, recognition of the existence or non-existence of marriage, marriage annulment and disputes deriving from parent-child relationships and b) all disputes belonging ratione materiae in the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance and are dealt with under the main civil procedure. Any remedy brought contrary to those provisions shall be rejected, as its hearing shall be inadmissible, except for the submission of a main intervention in such cases, for disputes with the Greek Government and for parties eligible for pro bono legal assistance.