A New Jersey appeals court ruled Wednesday that, absent specific contractual language, in-person arbitration cannot be compelled.

So long as the process is fair, “we hold that the [New Jersey Arbitration Act] does not require an in-person hearing for every arbitration,” and arbitration hearings could be heard over the phone, wrote Appellate Division Judge Robert Gilson in State Farm Guaranty Insurance v.  Hereford Insurance. He was joined by Judges Richard Hoffman and Jessica Mayer in the published decision.