Covid19 Remote Office FAQs

To address concerns with COVID-19, we are writing to inform you that our office is now offering to conduct mediation and client intakes/meetings remotely through ZOOM. We have created a ZOOM account and have the ability to send you and your clients an email link to participate in a settlement process remotely.

There is no fee to you or your clients for use of the ZOOM account.

For attorneys, your clients do not need to be in your office or ours and we can mediate virtually with each party and counsel in separate physical locations.

The process for remote mediation is as follows:

Prior to the mediation, counsel for each party can send me any documents you would normally bring to mediation. You will also review and sign the Mediation Participation Agreement in advance.

I will then schedule a ZOOM meeting and email the link to you and to your clients.

On the day of mediation, you and your clients sign into the meeting through the link provided to you. Once in the meeting, we can start the case together in a Main Meeting Room to hear introductions and address any issues or questions. I will also review the Mediation Participation Agreement that has been signed.

Following the initial opening, I can create separate and confidential Breakout Rooms, just as though you are in separate conference rooms. I then have the ability to go back and forth between the Breakout Rooms, with each Breakout Room not hearing any part of the discussions in the other room. We also have the ability to stay or return to the Main Meeting Room if the parties prefer.

For client intakes, or meetings, the process would be similar and can be discussed when you call to set up the meeting.

Thank you for your patience as we work to move forward in the safest way for you our clients, and our staff and families.

Marianne L. Rousseau, Esq. CFM