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COVID-19 is pushing individuals and businesses in the unknown. Nobody really knows for how long.

It is very possible that the crisis that we are living will qualify as an event of force majeure. But the most important thing for Canadian businesses is to deal now with this extraordinary emergency.

Quick decisions must be made at a time when professional advice is more difficult to obtain. Jobs, assets, the future of the company may be at stake.

It is to be expected that when the crisis ends, the aftermath will be filled with additional hurdles, difficulties and problems. Courts are closed except for emergencies.

Offices, including some law firms, may not be fully operational. But you may have a problem to solve today, an issue that cannot wait. Mediation may be the right vehicle for you or your business.

Mediation can be set up easily, with all parties interacting remotely. The documents can be scanned or uploaded to a dedicated secure site. Videoconferencing via Cisco Webex is now an easy process. Mediation is voluntary and, to function, it only requires that both sides wish for a reasonable workable solution to a current problem.

Mtre Neil G. Oberman., LL.M. is a Mediator, fully accredited by the Quebec Bar, and he can be of assistance in these most difficult times. Creative solutions, understanding of the stakes, knowledge of the law, access to research resources at all times and independence.

Addressing an issue now through mediation may save you serious problems later.