Until recently, if you had a legal problem, you would have gone to court or a tribunal. However, there are other methods of resolving disputes. Moreover, going to court can be expensive and off-putting. Expert Legal Advice can help you by helping you to choose the best method of resolving your issue depending on your personal needs.

Arbitration is rather like a private version of going to court.  It involves an independent arbitrator who is impartial. The arbitrator will hear both sides of the disagreement and make a decision that will solve the problem.

You and the other person or company must both agree if you want to go to arbitration.

The process is confidential and so is any amount of compensation that the arbitrator awards. Sometimes the arbitrator makes their decision based on papers that each person gives them to support their case. At other times they hold a hearing where both sides can present their cases. However, this is usually less formal than a court hearing.

The result of arbitration is binding, so you can’t take your case to court after the arbitrator has made a decision, unless the arbitrator has made obvious legal mistakes or behaved improperly.

Arbitration can be used for a range of problems, such as those about goods and services.

If you have a complaint with a business, and they are a member of a trade association, ask the trade association whether they have an arbitration scheme to deal with your problem.