Best Practices for the Future of Family Law Mediation

COVID-19 has required family law attorneys to quickly adapt to new ways of practicing. While it is uncertain when COVID-19 will be fully under control in the United States, it is clear that it will have an enduring impact on the practice of family law.

As already backlogged courts have become further burdened and a greater number of practitioners have successfully completed remote mediations and COVID-19 related mediations, there is an opportunity for mediation to offer families novel options for resolving their conflicts. Watch this webinar to learn from experienced practitioners about how you can leverage best practices for the future of family law mediation to benefit your practice and your clients.

Zoom Settings for Remote Mediations

Panelist Ketan Soni, J.D., shares the zoom settings he uses for successful remote mediations. In this short video, you'll learn about waiting and breakout rooms, screen sharing, encryption settings, and more. 

Panelists

Hon. Helaine L. Berger, (Ret.)

Hon. Helaine L. Berger, (Ret.) is an experienced civil litigator who tried cases in Criminal, Chancery Law, and Domestic Relations before serving as a judge in Cook County’s Domestic Relations Division for 19 years. Judge Berger has been active in the legal community, including Chair of the CBA’s Fee Committee and President of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. She is now a senior mediator and arbitrator at ADR Systems where she concentrates in family law. Judge Berger is flexible and creative in her approach to mediation and has helped ADR Systems launch an innovative fast track mediation program for family law cases.

Ketan Soni, J.D.

Ketan Soni brings 20 years of family law and estate planning experience across multiple counties in North Carolina, including Divorce, Separation and Premarital Agreements, Equitable Distribution, custody, and child support. He frequently mediates for other attorneys as a Superior Court and Family Financial Mediator. He loves teaching and technology, which resulted in his creation of various free tools, including a NC Child Support Calculator, custody calendaring tool, and net income calculator for alimony. He has taught hundreds of hours of CLE and Continuing Mediation Education, including a 40-hour Family Financial Mediation class. Wake Forest University School of Law sent him off in 2000 and the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana let him go in 1996 with a B.A. in Philosophy.

J. Alex Jacobson, J.D.

Before opening Jacobson Mediation Group, Alex was a practicing divorce lawyer for over 12 years at one of the largest law firms in the nation, dedicated exclusively to matrimonial and family law. Alex focused her practice on the negotiation and preparation of marital settlement agreements, asset valuations, child custody matters, and pre-marital and post-marital agreements for high net worth individuals.

While working for Chicago’s premier family law firm, Alex was known for helping her clients—both men and women—achieve the best possible resolutions, even in the most high-conflict situations, as a result of her command of the law, commitment to her client’s priorities, and creative problem-solving abilities.

Given her extensive professional and personal experience addressing matrimonial and family law matters, Alex pivoted her career and launched Jacobson Mediation Group.