{"id":1188,"date":"2013-09-30T20:19:08","date_gmt":"2013-10-01T00:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1188"},"modified":"2013-09-30T20:19:08","modified_gmt":"2013-10-01T00:19:08","slug":"one-professional-cannot-serve-as-both-mediator-and-arbitrator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1188","title":{"rendered":"One professional cannot serve as both mediator and arbitrator."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are several options for resolving your divorce in New Jersey.\u00a0 Traditional litigation, mediation, and arbitration are three such options.\u00a0 Each option has it&#8217;s own pro&#8217;s and con&#8217;s and you should chose an option after careful consideration.\u00a0 Meeting with an experienced divorce attorney is the first step to get you on the right path.\u00a0 Each method has limitations.\u00a0 Once such limitation is detailed in the recently decided and published case summarized below.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>FAMILY LAW<\/strong><br \/>\n20-2-1458 <em>Minkowitz v. Israeli<\/em>, App. Div. (Lihotz, J.A.D.) (55 pp.) This matter considers whether the arbitrator, having once mediated issues in dispute, can thereafter resume the role of arbitrator. On appeal, plaintiff challenges five separate orders confirming arbitration awards. She maintains each must be set aside under N.J.S.A. 2A:23B-23 or, alternatively, requests the final judgment of divorce be vacated pursuant to Rule 4:50-1, based on alleged procedural violations, the arbitrator\u2019s bias and substantive errors causing an unconscionable result. We affirmed orders confirming arbitration awards incorporating the parties\u2019 written mediated settlement agreements. <em>Willingboro Mall, Ltd. v. 240\/242 Franklin Ave., L.L.C.<\/em>, __ N.J. __ (2013) (slip op. at 10, 31). However, after concluding an arbitrator may not conduct arbitration hearings once he or she functioned as a mediator, we vacated orders confirming arbitration orders entered after the arbitrator exceeded his powers. N.J.S.A. 2A:23B-23a(4). [Decided Sept. 25, 2013.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are several options for resolving your divorce in New Jersey.\u00a0 Traditional litigation, mediation, and arbitration are three such options.\u00a0 Each option has it&#8217;s own pro&#8217;s and con&#8217;s and you should chose an option after careful consideration.\u00a0 Meeting with an &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1188\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[28],"tags":[60,29,32,72,69],"class_list":["post-1188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-durstfirm-news","tag-arbitration","tag-divorce","tag-durst","tag-litigation","tag-mediation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6omM8-ja","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1905,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1905","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":0},"title":"I&#8217;m getting divorce and my spouse wants to use ADR. What is that?","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"December 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"There are three main methods by which a NJ case case can be resolved. \u00a0As will be discussed below, each method has its own pro's and con's andyou should be careful in selecting the approach that you will believe will work best for your case. \u00a0It is important to realize\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst on Divorce&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst on Divorce","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=27"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3042,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=3042","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":1},"title":"Multiple methods to resolve your divorce in New Jersey","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"November 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Divorce Resolution in New Jersey: Litigation, Mediation, and Arbitration Explained When a marriage ends in New Jersey, divorcing spouses have several paths to resolve their disputes. While some cases must go before a judge, many couples today choose alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods like mediation or arbitration to save time,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst Firm News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst Firm News","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=28"},"img":{"alt_text":"Conference room. John E. Moss","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedurstfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA5L2xvYzIwMjA3MjAwNjUtaW1hZ2UuanBn.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedurstfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA5L2xvYzIwMjA3MjAwNjUtaW1hZ2UuanBn.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedurstfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA5L2xvYzIwMjA3MjAwNjUtaW1hZ2UuanBn.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedurstfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA5L2xvYzIwMjA3MjAwNjUtaW1hZ2UuanBn.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1362,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1362","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":2},"title":"Court reluctant to set aside arbitrator&#8217;s decision in NJ divorce case","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"April 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"With the backlogs in many county family courts throughout New Jersey, divorce litigants are exploring alternative methods of resolving their divorce proceedings.\u00a0 The traditional litigation can be time consuming.\u00a0 One such method of alternate dispute resolution (ADR) is arbitration. \u00a0 There are potential benefits to arbitration.\u00a0 Those benefits include the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst Firm News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst Firm News","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1907,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1907","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":3},"title":"How does divorce arbitration work?","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"December 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Legal proceedings \u00a0can be intimidating. Many litigants have not been involved in the legal system before their divorce. Understanding how the process works can help allieve some of the confusion and allow you to focus on the issues rather than the process.\u00a0 As a follow up to our prior posting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst Firm News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst Firm News","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1016,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=1016","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":4},"title":"Is Court administered divorce arbitration coming to NJ?","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"February 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"There are several ways a NJ divorce case can get resolved.\u00a0 The parties can reach an agreement between themselves or with the assistance of their attorneys. The Court system offers custody and parenting time mediation and the Early Settlement Panel Program.\u00a0 Litigants can utilize mediation, arbitration or collaborative divorce.\u00a0 In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst Firm News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst Firm News","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":837,"url":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?p=837","url_meta":{"origin":1188,"position":5},"title":"The Alphabet Soup of Divorce","author":"Sandy Durst","date":"August 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As a lawyer I find one of my most important responsibilities involves educating clients on all phases of the divorce process. As they saying goes, \"knowledge is power\" and I want my clients to be empowered during their divorce. Part of what makes the divorce process confusing is the all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Durst Firm News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Durst Firm News","link":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/?cat=28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1188"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1189,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedurstfirm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}