Southern District of Florida Amends Local Rules to Allow Mediation via Videoconference
On October 26, 2022, the Southern District of Florida released amended local rules to be effective December 1, 2022. Local Rule 16.2 was amended to address the format of court annexed mediation, adding that “[u]nless the Court orders otherwise, the parties shall decide whether their mediation conference will be conducted in person or by video-conference and, if the parties cannot agree, the mediation conference shall be held by videoconference.”
This amendment, barring any Court order, specifically allows parties to attend mediation via videoconference, cutting down on the time and expense associated with in-person mediation for out-of-state clients. It also defaults that mediation will be held via videoconference if the parties cannot agree, so opposition’s acquiescence to mediation by videoconference is unnecessary.
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