Eviction filings in Massachusetts have been climbing since a statewide moratorium expired in October. And while Governor Charlie Baker has allocated an extra $171 million to tenant and landlord relief programs, eviction cases are expected to climb even faster in the new year, after a federal moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control expires on December 31.
Read moreVirtual Mediations – What to Expect
MEDIATION can be a great option for resolving your ICBC claim. The goal of mediation is to bring the parties together—including an ICBC representative—to discuss the issues and try to reach settlement, with the guidance of a neutral mediator. Traditionally, “bringing the parties together” meant that everyone was physically in the same room. The technology for virtual mediation has existed for some time, but many ICBC claim lawyers were concerned that the mediation process would lose its effectiveness if not done face-to-face. The COVID-19 pandemic forced parties to embrace the use of technology and may have forever changed the way personal injury claims are handled.
Read moreThe first-ever digital 18th ICC Miami Conference on International Arbitration
The long-standing event, which this year was held online due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, has grown significantly since it launched 18 years ago and is an unmissable event in the international arbitration calendar, not only in Latin America, but in the US and Europe.
Read moreThe future is now: what arbitration will look like after the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced disputes lawyers to change their ways. But how effectively are arbitrations being conducted now, and what lessons can be learned to help international arbitration develop in the future, after the pandemic is over?
Read moreNY shuts down civil, criminal jury trials
All civil and criminal jury trials across New York are postponed indefinitely as the COVID-19 pandemic surges across the nation, with increasing cases by the day statewide.
New jury trials and the summoning of new trial jurors are halted until further notice, state Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said Monday.
Read moreMediation myths debunked
Mediation is something that has been used more frequently by lawyers as a means of resolving disputes without needing to enter the courtroom. There remains an impression of litigation as an area of law that is inherently adversarial, centred around a duel over right and wrong with your legal opponent on the courtroom battlefield. However, the reality is that most commercial litigation disputes are far more emotionally charged and complex than people think, and a gentler touch may yield better results.
Read moreTenants and landlords in Spokane County can access a mediator and rental assistance before the eviction moratorium ends
The end of 2020 is looming as the end of forgiveness for tenants who owe back rent to landlords, and court officials are pushing mediation to avoid a litigation logjam.
Spokane is one of six counties statewide that are part of a pilot program intended to get tenants and landlords to start talking about possible solutions to unpaid rent during eviction moratorium expiring Dec. 31. Two firms in Spokane County have received federal assistance funds to promote mediation for the estimated hundreds of renters who might otherwise be taken to court due to unpaid rent.
Read morehttp://www.lastbarrier.com/conflict-management/
It has become increasingly apparent that mental health is becoming a bigger player in the story of our working lives. After decades in a purely non-speaking part – one of those characters who move their lips in the background and form part of the ‘rent a crowd’ – workplace mental health is finally being given the chance to be heard and influence the plot.
Read moreArbitrator rules against CPS in labor dispute with CTU
An arbitrator issued Thursday a final ruling ordering Chicago Public Schools to allow clerks, clerk assistants and technology coordinators to work remotely while cases of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to increase throughout the city.
Read moreTop 3 Misconceptions Attorneys Have About Virtual Mediation
Although largely unknown to the average litigant, alternative dispute resolution providers across the country have offered virtual mediation services for upwards of a decade. The sudden increase in the popularity of these virtual services is, of course, due to COVID-19. The pandemic’s restrictions on travel and in-person gatherings have brought virtual mediation to the forefront of litigation.
Read moreKWM on why virtual hearings are a “new and exciting phenomenon”
COVID-19 accelerated the number of parties choosing virtual hearings, but this is not the first time proceedings have been convened with the use of technology. Strain says: “For many years, where necessary and appropriate, the DIFC Courts have been willing to convene hearings of urgent applications by telephone, and have allowed witnesses to be heard remotely using video conferencing facilities, provided the ‘DIFC Protocol on Remote Witnesses’ is complied with.”
Read moreMental health under COVID-19: Creating intentional group work while quarantined BY RANDY FLOOD, MA, LLP, DIRECTOR, MEN'S RESOURCE CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN | MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2020
We are pack animals and most humans need to gather socially for connection, or at least for utilitarian purposes. Yet, we desire the freedom to choose with whom to gather, how long, and ultimately knowing if things get really bad or boorish, we are free to roam or exit. And then we were hit with this Stay at Home order, stuck with the same people, not knowing for how long, and left with only solitary or virtual pursuits outside your quarantined tribe. It may feel like anything but a kumbaya social circle.
Read moreJudicial heavyweights call for 'breathing space' to save dispute resolution system
Lord Phillips, another former Supreme Court president, as saying 'parties should consider mediation, and conciliation should be encouraged at an early stage of legal proceedings'.
Read moreHong Kong Introduces COVID-19 Online Dispute Resolution Scheme
The Hong Kong Government has announced a series of measures to support individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19. With regards to the legal sector, the COVID-19 Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Scheme is planned to be launched in June 2020. In the meantime, preliminary information concerning the operation of the ODR Scheme has been provided by the Secretary for Justice.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, an upsurge in disputes related to the outbreak has been anticipated. In order to “provide speedy and cost-effective means to resolve such disputes, especially for those involving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that may be adversely affected or hard hit by the pandemic,” the ODR Scheme intends to cover COVID-19 disputes for claims up to HK$500,000.
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