Virtual court appearances are now a common fixture of New Jersey’s legal landscape. As our Supreme Court has recognized: “Attorneys, parties, and judges have praised the reduced time and cost associated with virtual proceedings for brief and straightforward matters. They also noted there are fewer scheduling conflicts and requests for continuances.” (Order 11/18/21) More recently, as in-person appearances have expanded, the court added that by “continuing to leverage virtual technologies, the court today can effectively balance in person and virtual proceedings in a way that maximizes access and fairness and supports meaningful participation and timely justice.” (Order 10-27-22)
Most lawyers favor virtual appearances for routine matters. Virtual appearances eliminate the hours that attorneys and clients once spent waiting in court for their matter to be called; eliminate the time wasted driving to and from the courthouse, time that often exceeded the length of the court appearance itself; allow lawyers and clients to extend their professional relationship to matters and venues that may once have been geographically impractical; permit out-of-state clients to participate economically in court proceedings that might otherwise have been out of reach; reduce the opportunities for judges and adversaries to use upcoming court appearances (especially by out-of-state clients) as leverage in settlement negotiations; and generally reduce the overall cost of legal services.
