ADR During Covid

Mediation and Arbitration are flourishing during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We have had to adjust to online proceedings, and with new technology, it can be done very well. Zoom has become the leading provider of the online experiences of dispute resolution. Covid-19 started in late 2019 and reached crisis levels in March 2019 when restrictions were placed on in person meetings and many people learned how to work from home. When everything first shut down in March 2020 I held off on providing ADR services and cancelled my training courses. Due to the persistence of Covid-19 adaptation was necessary. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the process was when the parties could participate from home where they were more comfortable. There are also huge cost savings along with saving travel time. It is now 2021 and Covid is still raging with lockdowns and more cases than ever. Thankfully, there is a vaccine which should bring it under control by the Fall of 2021. Until then online will be the way for dispute resolution. As the experience has been such a positive one it is likely to continue beyond Covid to be a primary forum for mediation and arbitration.