Delaware’s Chancery Increasing Dial-In Court Due to Coronavirus

Delaware’s Court of Chancery will start holding hearings by telephone whenever “practicable and efficient to do so” in response to concerns over the coronavirus.

“The Court will conduct conferences and hearings telephonically when it believes it would practicable and efficient to do so and will promptly consider any request by the parties to change a hearing from being held in-person to a telephonic hearing,” Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard said in a standing order issued Friday.

For trials or hearings that can’t be held over the telephone, the court asked attorneys to provide notice if such an in-person proceeding would require the presence of a person who has the virus or had been exposed to it.

In such cases, the court said parties should consider rescheduling, videoconferencing, or finding an alternative person to attend the proceeding.

Attorneys and parties involved in Chancery Court hearings must inform the court if they have been in contact within the past 14 days with any individual who may be infected by the coronavirus, the order said.

The precautionary measures would remain in place until further notice, the order said.