Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

Convenient, secure, easy-to-use technology – ready whenever you are.

We are proud to offer state-of-the-art technologies to enable unparalleled personalization of the dispute resolution process.  You may already be familiar with the use of Zoom video conferencing to conduct mediations and arbitrations.  While we are happy to accommodate those who prefer to use Zoom, Pax has taken online options a step further.  We offer our own secure online platform through MODRON Spaces, a market-leading, purpose-built online dispute resolution platform that allows our clients increased functionality and military grade security.  It is widely considered to be one of the most effective and user-friendly dispute resolution platforms in the world.

What Benefits Can the Online Platform Provide?
Functional and Convenient

Our platform allows for both remote synchronous and asynchronous communication in many forms.  Everything an individual might need to do to participate in the resolution of a dispute can be done securely and privately within the platform.  Once the case has been initiated, the neutral can create “spaces” for parties to communicate with any combination of participants.  For instance, parties can communicate directly with each other if they wish or only with the neutral.  A separate space can be created for only counsel to communicate with each other.  The options are limitless.  Not only can documents be securely uploaded through the portal on our website, but traditional videos, pictures, and even video messages can also be submitted privately and securely.  All these things can be done 24 hours a day from various devices, whenever and wherever is convenient.  You can participate in resolving your case from virtually anywhere at any time.

The platform also provides video conferencing features like Zoom for mediation/arbitration day, but at higher levels of security.  Both Zoom and our platform through MODRON Spaces allow everyone to meet in a virtual main room if desired and also have confidential private discussions in virtual breakout rooms.  The mediator can easily move the parties between rooms and bring people together as needed, as well as share a whiteboard or documents as we normally would during in-person conferences.  However, because Zoom is a video conferencing platform only, even when parties choose to mediate or arbitrate on Zoom, our platform is recommended for the secure sharing of documents and case management.  Even payments can be securely made through the platform.  The efficiency of having everything accessible in one place whenever you need it saves time and money.

Efficient and Economical - No Need to Travel

Travel expenses, gasoline, hourly fees, and the opportunity cost of being away from other business endeavors even longer are all spared when travel is eliminated. Especially in this climate of flight delays or cancellations and inclement driving conditions, attendance by all parties is more assured without travel being involved.

Greater flexibility in scheduling may be allowed, as well.  For instance, an online mediation conference or arbitration hearing could be scheduled on an afternoon when one of the parties has another commitment that morning; whereas, scheduling mediation that day might not be feasible at all if that party needed time in the morning to travel to the mediation.  Online conferences and hearings simply offer greater accessibility by allowing participants to join from any quiet, secure environment with a good internet connection.

Private and Secure

We understand disputes inherently involve sensitive information and the importance of keeping that information private.  All voice, video and signaling traffic through our secure portal is AES-128 encrypted and is GDPR compliant.  All video and audio recorded messages are AES-256 encrypted at rest as well as in transit and all shared files and messaging are AES-256 encrypted at rest as well as in transit to ensure deep security.

Parties, attorneys, and other participants are all on-boarded to the platform with secure account access requiring each participant to create a user name and password.  Any participant can also choose to have two-factor authentication added to the login process for extra security.  At the end of a mediation or arbitration, the secure “space” is deleted so that there is no digital footprint of case information, documents or messages. 

Buffer in Highly Emotional Conflicts

Online dispute resolution can provide an environment more conducive to settlement in certain types of cases.  When people embroiled in highly emotional conflicts are in the same building, stress levels tend to rise.  Keeping stress levels as low as possible allows all parties to maintain focus on the effort to find a reasonable resolution and parties may well be far more likely to compromise when they are not required to be at the same location.  The physical separation from potentially emotionally triggering individuals can improve the emotional climate and keep everyone’s focus on getting the case resolved.

Less stressful environments in general enable participants to think more clearly, be more reasonable, more successfully regulate emotions, and make better decisions.  After all, nothing creates a more relaxed, secure, and open emotional state than being in one’s own home or office.  Increased comfort leads to greater honesty in the exchange of information and, ultimately, greater willingness to reach a compromise that will ultimately work for everyone.

How Do I Get Started?

Online dispute resolution can be requested through the calendar link  https://www.nadn.org/brandy-carestia , by calling (406) 304-4785, or by emailing info@paxdrs.com.  Please include the preferred dispute resolution process, names of each party, names of attorneys involved, brief description of the type of case, whether it has been filed in court (including cause number if it has) and in what jurisdiction.  You will then receive a confirmation if the neutral has no conflict and the date requested is acceptable to all parties and the neutral along with further instructions about how to access the platform.