Online mediation: the solution for the diaspora and parties far apart

Millions of Romanians live and work abroad, but their conflicts often remain at home: undivided inheritances, rented properties, disagreements with former partners about the children, businesses with partners still in Romania. For all of them, classic litigation often means holidays sacrificed for hearings, powers of attorney and tiring travel. Online mediation changes the equation: serious negotiation, with real legal effects, can take place from anywhere with a stable internet connection.

Is online mediation legal?

Yes. Mediation can also be organised remotely, by videoconference, in compliance with the rules of the procedure laid down in Law no. 192/2006 and with the same principles as a classic session — voluntariness, confidentiality under the conditions of the law, impartiality. Documents may be signed electronically under the conditions of the legislation on electronic signatures — under Law no. 214/2024, only the qualified electronic signature has the legal effect of a handwritten signature. Where the law requires an authentic form or other formal requirements, the legal formalities remain necessary — including notarial procedures, where needed by power of attorney, for parties who cannot travel to Romania.

How an online mediation unfolds, step by step

The remote procedure follows exactly the same steps as mediation held at the office — except that every stage is organised so that no trip to Romania is needed.

1. First contact. You write to us, briefly describe the conflict, and we propose a video appointment convenient for your time zone.
2. The information session — free of charge. By videoconference, we explain how mediation works, whether it suits your situation and which documents will be needed. You pay nothing for this stage.
3. The mediation preparation contract (pre-mediation). If you decide to go further, we sign remotely the contract that allows us to actually work on your file.
4. Studying and assessing the file. You send us the relevant documents electronically — land registry extracts, valuations, contracts, correspondence. After studying and assessing the file, which usually takes at least one working day, depending on complexity, we communicate the mediation fee. Our way of working is explained in detail on the fees page.
5. Inviting the other party. We invite the other party to mediation, wherever in the world they may be. If they refuse or do not respond, we draw up a closing report — a useful document if you later choose to go to court.
6. The mediation contract. Once all parties accept the procedure, we sign the mediation contract — again remotely, with no travel.
7. The mediation sessions by videoconference. We alternate joint sessions with virtual "breakout rooms" for confidential discussions with each party; documents are discussed on screen, together, not from memory.
8. The final agreement. The agreement is drafted and circulated electronically, and it may acquire enforceable character, under the conditions of art. 58 of Law no. 192/2006, through notarial authentication, through confirmation of the agreement by the court (a consent judgment) or through the verification and attestation of the agreement by the parties' lawyers or by the notary public. For real estate, division of property and successions, the specific formalities provided by law are mandatory; these steps can be organised with minimal presence or through representation, where the law allows it. We covered this in depth in our article on the legal force of the mediation agreement.

The advantages of remote mediation

• Flexible scheduling across time zones — evening sessions for the party in Canada, morning for the one in Romania; nobody sacrifices a working day.
• Remote signing — documents may be signed electronically under the conditions of the legislation on electronic signatures, and where the law requires an authentic form the legal formalities remain necessary, where needed through a notarial power of attorney for parties who cannot travel to Romania.
• Zero trips to Romania — no plane tickets, no holidays burned on hearings, no accommodation for a single meeting.
• Secure videoconferencing — joint sessions and virtual "breakout rooms", with confidentiality preserved, under the conditions of the law, as in any mediation session.
• Documents shared in advance — land registry extracts, valuations, contracts, all reviewed on screen, together with the parties.
• A calm pace, without pressure — an extra session no longer means travel and sacrificed days off, so nobody rushes into a bad "closure".

In which language do we negotiate?

In the office founded by Anca Voican, a mediator authorised since 2013, we work in Romanian and English — including "mixed" mediations, where one party is a foreign partner or a family member who no longer speaks Romanian fluently. Being able to negotiate in the language each party thinks best in removes a huge source of misunderstanding.

How does it compare with face-to-face mediation?

Each format has its own particularities. Some things feel different on screen — body language is harder to read, silences are more delicate to manage. Others, however, work naturally at a distance: the parties are in their own environment; the documents are one click away, not "at home, in a drawer"; and the discussion can resume without the logistics of another trip. With clear rules from the start and proper preparation, the screen is no longer an obstacle but a working tool. The outcome depends, as in any mediation, on the parties and their openness to dialogue.

A frequent scenario: heirs in three countries

An inheritance with three heirs: one in Spain, one in Germany, one in Romania. On the classic route, such a case can mean powers of attorney, travel and correspondence conducted from three jurisdictions. Through online mediation: video sessions scheduled around each party's time zone, on a timetable set by the parties, a division agreement signed at the notary through representation — and three siblings who still speak to each other. The duration of the procedure depends on the complexity of the succession, the number of parties and their availability. We wrote at length about dividing assets without a lawsuit on our page dedicated to property division and inheritance.

The first step can be taken from anywhere

If you live abroad and have a conflict left back home, see our page on online mediation for the diaspora, then write to us: the information session is free of charge and is scheduled in your time zone.

Legal sources: Romanian Law no. 192/2006 on mediation and the organisation of the mediator profession, consolidated form consulted on 14 July 2026; Directive 2008/52/EC on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters; Romanian Law no. 214/2024 on electronic signatures. Last legal review of this article: 14 July 2026.