This statute is set forth for the benefit of non-lawyers participating in court-annexed arbitrations.

    The procedure of Oregon Court Annexed Arbitration is governed by Oregon Revised Statutes sections 36.400 to 36.425, along with rules issued by the Supreme Court of Oregon in chapter 13 of the Uniform Trial Court Rules.  Many Circuit Courts have also issued additional rules, usually found at chapter 13 of that court's Supplemental Local Rules.  The Uniform Trial Court Rules and each Circuit Court's Supplemental Local Rules are found on the website of the Oregon Supreme Court - also known as the Oregon Judicial Department (www.ojd.state.or.us) - under the button RULES.  It is not realistically possible for a non-lawyer to participate in a court-annexed arbitration without at least having read - and attempted to follow - these statutes and chapter 13 of the UTCR (as they are known) and chapter 13 of the SLR.

    Here are the statutes (but not the UTCR and the SLR).  For non-lawyers, do not confuse these procedural statutes and rules with the substantive rules of law governing entitlement to recover, damages, evidence, and other procedures of courts.

36.400 Mandatory arbitration programs.
    (1) A mandatory arbitration program is established in each circuit court.
    (2) Rules consistent with ORS 36.400 to 36.425 to govern the operation and procedure of an arbitration program established under this section may be made in the same manner as other rules applicable to the court and are subject to the approval of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
    (3) Each circuit court shall require arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 in matters involving $50,000 or less.
    (4) ORS 36.400 to 36.425 do not apply to appeals from a county, justice or municipal court or actions in the small claims department of a circuit court. Actions transferred from the small claims department of a circuit court by reason of a request for a jury trial under ORS 46.455, by reason of the filing of a counterclaim in excess of the jurisdiction of the small claims department under ORS 46.461, or for any other reason, shall be subject to ORS 36.400 to 36.425 to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as a case initially filed in circuit court. The arbitrator shall not allow any party to appear or participate in the arbitration proceeding after the transfer unless the party pays the arbitrator fee established by court rule or the party obtains a waiver or deferral of the fee from the court and provides a copy of the waiver or deferral to the arbitrator. The failure of a party to appear or participate in the arbitration proceeding by reason of failing to pay the arbitrator fee or obtain a waiver or deferral of the fee does not affect the ability of the party to appeal the arbitrator’s decision and award in the manner provided by ORS 36.425. 

 36.405 Referral to mandatory arbitration; exemptions.
    (1) Except as provided in ORS 30.136, in a civil action in a circuit court where all parties have appeared, the court shall refer the action to arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 if either of the following applies:
      (a) The only relief claimed is recovery of money or damages, and no party asserts a claim for money or general and special damages in an amount exceeding $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees, costs and disbursements and interest on judgment.
      (b) The action is a domestic relations suit, as defined in ORS 107.510, in which the only contested issue is the division or other disposition of property between the parties.
    (2) The presiding judge for a judicial district may do either of the following:
      (a) Exempt from arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 a civil action that otherwise would be referred to arbitration under this section.
      (b) Remove from further arbitration proceedings a civil action that has been referred to arbitration under this section, when, in the opinion of the judge, good cause exists for that exemption or removal.
    (3) If a court has established a mediation program that is available for a civil action that would otherwise be subject to arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425, the court shall not assign the proceeding to arbitration if the proceeding is assigned to mediation pursuant to the agreement of the parties. Notwithstanding any other provision of ORS 36.400 to 36.425, a party who completes a mediation program offered by a court shall not be required to participate in arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425.

36.410 Stipulation for arbitration; conditions; relief.
    (1) In a civil action in a circuit court where all parties have appeared and agreed to arbitration by stipulation, the court shall refer the action to arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 if: (a) The relief claimed is more than or other than recovery of money or damages. (b) The only relief claimed is recovery of money or damages and a party asserts a claim for money or general and special damages in an amount exceeding $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees, costs and disbursements and interest on judgment. (2) If a civil action is referred to arbitration under this section, the arbitrator may grant any relief that could have been granted if the action were determined by a judge of the court.

36.415 Arbitration after waiver of amount of claim exceeding $50,000; motion for referral to arbitration.
    (1) In a civil action in a circuit court where all parties have appeared, where the only relief claimed is recovery of money or damages, where a party asserts a claim for money or general and special damages in an amount exceeding $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees, costs and disbursements and interest on judgment, and where all parties asserting those claims waive the amounts of those claims that exceed $50,000, the court shall refer the action to arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425. A waiver of an amount of a claim under this section shall be for the purpose of arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 only and shall not restrict assertion of a larger claim in a trial de novo under ORS 36.425.
    (2) In a civil action in a circuit court where all parties have appeared, where the only relief claimed is recovery of money or damages and where a party asserts a claim for money or general and special damages in an amount exceeding $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees, costs and disbursements and interest on judgment, any party against whom the claim is made may file a motion with the court requesting that the matter be referred to arbitration. After hearing upon the motion, the court shall refer the matter to arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 if the defendant establishes by affidavits and other documentation that no objectively reasonable juror could return a verdict in favor of the claimant in excess of $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees, costs and disbursements and interest on judgment.

36.420 Notice of arbitration hearing; open proceeding; compensation and expenses.
    (1) At least five days before the date set for an arbitration hearing, the arbitrator shall notify the clerk of the court of the time and place of the hearing. The clerk shall post a notice of the time and place of the hearing in a conspicuous place for trial notices at the principal location for the sitting of the court in the county in which the action was commenced.
    (2) The arbitration proceeding and the records thereof shall be open to the public to the same extent as would a trial of the action in the court and the records thereof.
    (3) The compensation of the arbitrator and other expenses of the arbitration proceeding shall be the obligation of the parties or any of them as provided by rules made under ORS 36.400. However, if those rules require the parties or any of them to pay any of those expenses in advance, in the form of fees or otherwise, as a condition of arbitration, the rules shall also provide for the waiver in whole or in part, deferral in whole or in part, or both, of that payment by a party whom the court finds is then unable to pay all or any part of those advance expenses. Expenses so waived shall be paid by the state from funds available for the purpose. Expenses so deferred shall be paid, if necessary, by the state from funds available for the purpose, and the state shall be reimbursed according to the terms of the deferral.

36.425 Filing of decision and award; notice of appeal; trial de novo; attorney fees and costs; effect of arbitration decision and award.
    (1) At the conclusion of arbitration under ORS 36.400 to 36.425 of a civil action, the arbitrator shall file the decision and award with the clerk of the court that referred the action to arbitration, together with proof of service of a copy of the decision and award upon each party. If the decision and award require the payment of money, including payment of costs or attorney fees, the decision and award must be substantially in the form prescribed by ORS 18.042.
    (2)(a) Within 20 days after the filing of a decision and award with the clerk of the court under subsection (1) of this section, a party against whom relief is granted by the decision and award or a party whose claim for relief was greater than the relief granted to the party by the decision and award, but no other party, may file with the clerk a written notice of appeal and request for a trial de novo of the action in the court on all issues of law and fact. A copy of the notice of appeal and request for a trial de novo must be served on all other parties to the proceeding. After the filing of the written notice a trial de novo of the action shall be held. If the action is triable by right to a jury and a jury is demanded by a party having the right of trial by jury, the trial de novo shall include a jury.
        (b) If a party files a written notice under paragraph (a) of this subsection, a trial fee or jury trial fee, as applicable, shall be collected as provided in ORS 21.270.
        (c) A party filing a written notice under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall deposit with the clerk of the court the sum of $150. If the position under the arbitration decision and award of the party filing the written notice is not improved as a result of a judgment in the action on the trial de novo, the clerk shall dispose of the sum deposited in the same manner as a fee collected by the clerk. If the position of the party is improved as a result of a judgment, the clerk shall return the sum deposited to the party. If the court finds that the party filing the written notice is then unable to pay all or any part of the sum to be deposited, the court may waive in whole or in part, defer in whole or in part, or both, the sum. If the sum or any part thereof is so deferred and the position of the party is not improved as a result of a judgment, the deferred amount shall be paid by the party according to the terms of the deferral.
    (3) If a written notice is not filed under subsection (2)(a) of this section within the 20 days prescribed, the court shall cause to be prepared and entered a judgment based on the arbitration decision and award. A judgment entered under this subsection may not be appealed.
    (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or the Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure:
        (a) If a party requests a trial de novo under the provisions of this section, the action is subject to arbitration under the provisions of ORS 36.405 (1)(a), the party is entitled to attorney fees by law or contract, and the position of the party is not improved after judgment on the trial de novo, the party shall not be entitled to an award of attorney fees or costs and disbursements incurred by the party before the filing of the decision and award of the arbitrator, and shall be taxed the reasonable attorney fees and costs and disbursements incurred by the other parties to the action on the trial de novo after the filing of the decision and award of the arbitrator.
        (b) If a party requests a trial de novo under the provisions of this section, the action is subject to arbitration under ORS 36.405 (1)(a), the party is not entitled to attorney fees by law or contract, and the position of the party is not improved after judgment on the trial de novo, pursuant to subsection (5) of this section the party shall be taxed the reasonable attorney fees and costs and disbursements of the other parties to the action on the trial de novo incurred by the other parties after the filing of the decision and award of the arbitrator.
        (c) If a party requests a trial de novo under the provisions of this section, the action is subject to arbitration under ORS 36.405 (1)(b), and the position of the party is not improved after judgment on the trial de novo, the party shall not be entitled to an award of attorney fees or costs and disbursements and shall be taxed the costs and disbursements incurred by the other parties after the filing of the decision and award of the arbitrator.
    (5) If a party is entitled to an award of attorney fees under subsection (4) of this section, but is also entitled to an award of attorney fees under contract or another provision of law, the court shall award reasonable attorney fees pursuant to the contract or other provision of law. If a party is entitled to an award of attorney fees solely by reason of subsection (4) of this section, the court shall award reasonable attorney fees not to exceed the following amounts:
        (a) Twenty percent of the judgment, if the defendant requests the trial de novo but the position of the defendant is not improved after the trial de novo; or
        (b) Ten percent of the amount claimed in the complaint, if the plaintiff requests the trial de novo but the position of the plaintiff is not improved after the trial de novo.
    (6) Within seven days after the filing of a decision and award under subsection (1) of this section, a party may file with the court and serve on the other parties to the arbitration written exceptions directed solely to the award or denial of attorney fees or costs. Exceptions under this subsection may be directed to the legal grounds for an award or denial of attorney fees or costs, or to the amount of the award. Any party opposing the exceptions must file a written response with the court and serve a copy of the response on the party filing the exceptions. Filing and service of the response must be made within seven days after the service of the exceptions on the responding party. A judge of the court shall decide the issue and enter a decision on the award of attorney fees and costs. If the judge fails to enter a decision on the award within 20 days after the filing of the exceptions, the award of attorney fees and costs shall be considered affirmed. The filing of exceptions under this subsection does not constitute an appeal under subsection (2) of this section and does not affect the finality of the award in any way other than as specifically provided in this subsection.
    (7) For the purpose of determining whether the position of a party has improved after a trial de novo under the provisions of this section, the court shall not consider any money award or other relief granted on claims asserted by amendments to the pleadings made after the filing of the decision and award of the arbitrator.