Where a litigation case or a case for adjudication of domestic relations is pending with regard to a case for which mediation may be conducted pursuant to the provisions of Article 244, a court may by its own authority refer the case to mediation of domestic relations at any time, while hearing the opinions of the parties (before a defendant or respondent makes statements on the merits, limited to a plaintiff or petitioner).
第二百四十四条の規定により調停を行うことができる事件についての訴訟又は家事審判事件が係属している場合には、裁判所は、当事者（本案について被告又は相手方の陳述がされる前にあっては、原告又は申立人に限る。）の意見を聴いて、いつでも、職権で、事件を家事調停に付することができる。
When referring a case to mediation pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, a court must have the case processed by the family court which has jurisdiction over the case; provided, however, that if a court finds it to be particularly necessary in order to process a case for mediation of domestic relations, it may have the case processed by a family court other than the family court which has jurisdiction over the case.
裁判所は、前項の規定により事件を調停に付する場合においては、事件を管轄権を有する家庭裁判所に処理させなければならない。ただし、家事調停事件を処理するために特に必要があると認めるときは、事件を管轄権を有する家庭裁判所以外の家庭裁判所に処理させることができる。
Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, when a family court and a high court refer a case to mediation pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), they may process the case for mediation of domestic relations by themselves.
When a family court or a high court conducts mediation through a mediation committee pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the mediation committee is composed of a judge appointed by the court from among the judges assigned thereto, and two or more domestic relations mediation commissioners.
前項の規定により家庭裁判所又は高等裁判所が調停委員会で調停を行うときは、調停委員会は、当該裁判所がその裁判官の中から指定する裁判官一人及び家事調停委員二人以上で組織する。
For the purpose of the application of the provisions of this Part in cases where a high court conducts mediation by itself pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3): in the provisions of Article 244, Article 247, Article 248, paragraph (2), Article 254, paragraphs (1) through (4), Article 264, paragraph (2), Article 266, paragraph (4), the proviso to Article 268, paragraph (3), Article 269, paragraph (1), and the proviso to paragraph (1) and paragraph (2) of Article 272, as well as the provisions of the following Chapter and Chapter III, the term "family court" is deemed to be replaced with "high court"; in Article 244, Article 258, paragraph (1), Article 276, Article 277, paragraph (1), item (i), Article 279, paragraph (3), and Article 284, paragraph (1), the term "ruling" is deemed to be replaced with "judicial decision in lieu of a ruling"; in Article 267, paragraph (1), the term "a family court" is deemed to be replaced with "a high court"; in the provisions of the following Chapter, the phrase "ruling equivalent to an agreement" is deemed to be replaced with "judicial decision in lieu of a ruling equivalent to an agreement"; in the proviso to Article 272, paragraph (1) and the provisions of Chapter III (excluding the provisions of Article 286, paragraph (7)), the phrase "ruling in lieu of mediation" is deemed to be replaced with "judicial decision in lieu of a ruling in lieu of mediation"; and in Article 281 and Article 287, the phrase "ruling to dismiss" is deemed to be replaced with "judicial decision in lieu of a ruling to dismiss".
第三項の規定により高等裁判所が自ら調停を行う場合についてのこの編の規定の適用については、第二百四十四条、第二百四十七条、第二百四十八条第二項、第二百五十四条第一項から第四項まで、第二百六十四条第二項、第二百六十六条第四項、第二百六十八条第三項ただし書、第二百六十九条第一項並びに第二百七十二条第一項ただし書及び第二項並びに次章及び第三章の規定中「家庭裁判所」とあるのは「高等裁判所」と、第二百四十四条、第二百五十八条第一項、第二百七十六条、第二百七十七条第一項第一号、第二百七十九条第三項及び第二百八十四条第一項中「審判」とあるのは「審判に代わる裁判」と、第二百六十七条第一項中「家庭裁判所は」とあるのは「高等裁判所は」と、次章の規定中「合意に相当する審判」とあるのは「合意に相当する審判に代わる裁判」と、第二百七十二条第一項ただし書及び第三章の規定（第二百八十六条第七項の規定を除く。）中「調停に代わる審判」とあるのは「調停に代わる審判に代わる裁判」と、第二百八十一条及び第二百八十七条中「却下する審判」とあるのは「却下する審判に代わる裁判」とする。