The use of a settlement website has a lot to do with how you’ve built the settlement agreement. There are certainly cases that do not require an online claim form process, but in many cases a settlement website is the only interaction a claimant will have with important case information. An easy-to-access website with plain language information has the potential to drive claim rates and satisfy due process for final approval.
In November 2018, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California published new procedural guidelines for class action settlements. In pertinent part, those guidelines specify that notices to potential class members should include “the address for a website, maintained by the claims administrator or class counsel, that has links to the notice, motions for approval and for attorneys’ fees and any other important documents in the case.”
The Northern District is often an industry-guiding force for other courts around the country, and attorneys should expect to adhere to court guidance similar to the Northern District Guidance in other districts.
A settlement website includes documentation for class members, includes all key deadlines such as claim, opt-out, objection deadlines and court hearing dates, as well as important documents that define the class and settlement benefits. If set up with the user in mind, settlement websites can be the medium in which potential class members can easily find all case information they need before filing a claim or taking any other action.
Judges in the Northern District of California recognized the ease of digital resources for class members, and likely other federal districts will follow. In an increasingly digital age, the settlement website is a critical communication link between class members and the resources and/or contacts they need.
Settlement websites can:
A well-designed website is an ideal tool to manage the growing complexity of class action settlement administration. Even if other federal districts do not adopt similar guidelines to California’s Northern District, industry trends reveal that settlement websites are a fixture in class action cases.
Before setting up the class action website, settlement administrators must consider the answers to several important questions including:
Contact Heffler Claims Group today for a free consultation.