Rules for Online Mediation

Mediation is a confidential process designed to allow the parties to have a meaningful evaluation of the case and the strengths and weaknesses of all sides. Because it is confidential, only the client representatives involved and their attorneys may attend the online mediation. It is important to the process that there be no other people in the rooms where clients and their attorneys are and that no one else be allowed to eavesdrop on the conversation. Ideally, the participants are in a room that is closed off to the outside world and secure from anyone overhearing the online mediation sessions.

• No one is allowed to record the mediation session and that is because, it is a confidential process.
• Everyone should be on a fast, stable and secure Wi-Fi so no public Wi-Fi.
• Everyone is encouraged to be on a desktop, laptop computer or tablet as these are the most secure platform for the mediation.
• You are advised to download the Zoom app onto your device and set up an account but you do not need to upgrade your Zoom account. A free account will be fine for our purposes since I already have a premium account that we will be using.
• We ask everyone to devote their full attention to the mediation so encourage a “technology hiatus” from other devices and other business during the mediation.
• Zoom only allows one person to speak at a time so please be respectful when others are talking.
• I ask that you stay near your computer during the mediation even when I am not in your breakout room so you will know when I am ready to re-enter your room. I will signify this by texting you to ask your permission to re-enter.
• We ask everyone to be mindful of the differing points of view that the various parties will have and commit to respectful communication.