Karen J. Levitt, Levitt Law Group, LLC gave a presentation at the USA500 Family Law Roundtable on March 25, 2020, regarding the use of neutrals, not just in Mediation, but in litigation and Collaborative Law. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting took place via Zoom, and the presentation was done via Zoom. Karen focused on setting client expectations regarding neutrals, identifying and selecting neutrals, how to work with neutrals as an attorney or mediator and how to help the clients work with neutrals, and ways in which neutrals can be critical to process and outcome. There was a rich discussion regarding the use of neutrals amongst the roundtable members, which included attorneys and financial professionals. There are a wide variety of neutrals that can be used in litigation, Mediation, and Collaborative Law, including financial advisors, pension professionals, business valuators, transactional attorneys, estate planners, special education experts, CPAs to address tax considerations, real estate appraisers, child specialists, and the list goes on. While not all cases require neutrals, the use of neutrals can actually save clients time and money by using a specific expertise to address a specific legal issue in a divorce or family law matter. The engagement of a neutral is usually a joint engagement, giving both parties participation and control. Neutrals can help lawyers and mediators work with their clients in coming up with creative solutions to difficult problems.
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Neutrals in Mediation, Litigation and Collaborative Law
by Karen Levitt | Mar 25, 2020 | News
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