Zoom Instructions

The mediator is responsible for hosting the mediation. Prior to mediation, your attorney will receive an invitation email with a link to your Zoom™ meeting. The link is usually circulated a few days before the mediation. If you have not previously participated in a Zoom conference, I encourage you to go to https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us and review the various articles on using Zoom. The parties and their counsel should test the Zoom link prior to mediation to ensure that it is operating properly.

The mediation will begin promptly at the scheduled start time. The parties and counsel will be invited into the main meeting room. All participants should appear with their audio and video engaged. As the mediation process is confidential, the parties should make certain that no one else can hear or see what is being presented. At the beginning of the mediation, the mediator will explain the mediation process to the participants and invite counsel to provide a summary of their client’s position. Thereafter, the mediator will assign separate breakout rooms for each client and their counsel. All communications taking place in the breakout rooms cannot be heard by any other participants. As the host, the mediator will go back and forth between the rooms in order to discuss various issues about the case, and to convey offers and demands. An additional breakout room will be created in the event the participants want to discuss any issues outside of their primary breakout room.

In the event the case is resolved, a mediation settlement agreement will be prepared and reviewed with all participants. If the settlement language is acceptable, the mediator will circulate the agreement to counsel for their signature.