The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people and services throughout our country and the globe.  As Herb Kroon of Mediation Services of Southern Minnesota writes below, one of those services is the court system, and specifically family law cases.  Herb discusses a way to work toward settlement of disputes when access to the court system is limited.

Guest Post by Herb Kroon

Just before the Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine wrote “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Our country has been through many trying experiences, and I’m afraid that the COVID-19 crisis qualifies as another. This is a virulent virus that we can’t stop because it is new and we have no vaccines to fight it. As a result, the only way we can combat it is to isolate ourselves so that the virus can’t spread.

As a result of this social isolation, many of our businesses and institutions are closed. One of those is the court system. Courts are only taking ‘emergency’ cases, and, in the eyes of the court system, most family law cases don’t count as emergencies. This means that if you are in the middle of a family law case, the case has stopped in its tracks. If you want to appear before a judge on a new case, it is not likely going to happen.

For some people, their legal problems have taken a back seat to keeping their families safe during this pandemic. They are fine with a court system that is shut down.

However, others are anxious to get their cases resolved. Moreover, the virus has created new legal problems, such as parenting time disputes, which emerge when a parenting time schedule conflicts with the “Stay at Home” rules, or people who have lost their job and can no longer afford to pay child support.

Are you one of those people who has a court case and are anxious to resolve it? Are you looking for help just to figure out parenting time and child support over the next few months? If you are, where can you go to get your case resolved? I am happy to announce that I am conducting online mediations.  Everybody appears online: you, and your x, and your lawyers if you have them.

So, what happens in mediation? I help you resolve your disputes. I provide a safe space where you can share your thoughts in hopes that a decision can be reached. As a mediator, I don’t make decisions for you, but I help you come up with solutions. If you have a lawyer, your lawyer is encouraged to participate in the process.

Although most people probably would prefer face-to-face mediations, there are some advantages to online mediations: you can mediate from the comfort of your home, and you don’t have to physically be in the same room as your ‘x.’ Best of all, you can do this now!

Contact me, Herb@Manktomedaitor.com for more information.

*Please note, the content of this post is for informational purposes only and is not to be considered legal advice.