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During a Dec. 9 hearing, the judge in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle directed the pair to contact a magistrate judge to discuss a settlement

Legal expert Gregory Doll says the judge's directive is standard for civil cases in federal court, but explains why that could impact whether or not Lively and Baldoni head to trial

The settlement talks are "often intense and productive," Doll tells PEOPLE

The judge overseeing Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni ’s legal battle in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York directed the parties on Tuesday, Dec. 9 to contact a magistrate judge to discuss a settlement.

That development, which came during a post-discovery hearing, is “standard” in civil lawsuits litigated in federal court, according to lega

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