This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If someone doesn't follow the mediation rules, the other side can ask the court to step in. The court will hold a hearing to look at what happened, and if the person really did break the rules, the court can make them pay for it.
The penalty is limited, though. The court can only make the person cover the costs of the mediation itself, like the mediator's fee, or pay the other side's attorney fees connected to the mediation process. The court can't pile on extra punishments or fines beyond those actual costs.
This rule applies to attorneys as well as party representatives, meaning the people who show up to mediation on behalf of a company or organization. So if a lawyer or a representative skips required steps, ignores mediation obligations, or otherwise fails to comply, they could end up paying for the trouble they caused, but only for expenses tied directly to the mediation.
