Dispute Settlement Services is an independent dispute resolution consultancy specialising in advising companies and business owners on the merits or otherwise of a wide range of business related disputes with a view to facilitating early settlements.
We have experienced and professional legal advisers, arbitrators and mediators with excellent track records in their fields including dispute resolution and with good knowledge and expertise in unravelling all types of disputes that a company or business owner might face in the lifetime of a business.
We offer simple, confidential, no fuss advice that can potentially help you avoid a dispute or facilitate an early out of court settlement of a dispute.
Where appropriate one of our panel of independent arbitrators and mediators will examine the facts and give a view on the merits or otherwise of a dispute from the documents you provide.
Where the parties agree, an independent arbitrator or mediator can facilitate a negotiation or provide a binding decision. Please note that this extension of our service is for B2B disputes only. This is a paper based process without the necessity of a personal appearance, that saves you valuable time, lets you propose creative solutions, can be an option where you might otherwise have decided to write off a debt, and avoids the need to resort to expensive litigation where you lose control of the outcome.
The traditional underpinnings of dispute resolution are neutrality , confidentiality , cost effectiveness and speed . To these has been added the principle of flexibility and mediation and arbitration are commonly written into a contract’s terms or set out in a company’s standard terms and conditions of business.
Because Arbitration is a voluntary process, Dispute Settlement Services can provide a business with:
- Maximum flexibility and confidentiality for parties to agree to use the process
- Speed and efficiency in the appointment of arbitrators
- Reduce delays
- Waiver of a right of appeal
- A paper-based Arbitration scheme is more likely to result in a reasoned outcome that offers an opportunity for alternative creative resolution solutions.
How we manage your B2B arbitration
Once a claim is received the administrator will alert the proposed Respondent inviting it to participate in the arbitration scheme. Depending on the terms of the contract, a Respondent may or may not be obliged to try ADR. We can advise if this is a factor on a case by case basis and explore other options, such as facilitated negotiation, in the event a Respondent does not agree to arbitration.
Assuming agreement, the Respondent has 28 days to submit any defence and all supporting evidence. The administrator will then forward all the paperwork to the appointed arbitrator who has up to 6 weeks to provide his or her decision.
Your arbitrator will make a considered finding of fact from the documents you provide without the necessity of a personal appearance which by prior agreement is binding on both parties.
Should a full mediation or arbitration be considered more appropriate with the parties present, we will make those arrangements with you after a full discussion and analysis of the case and each party’s needs.
Any decision and award made under this scheme is binding and enforceable, as is the
case with awards made under other established schemes.
The parties are encouraged in the first place to try to resolve any dispute themselves or with the assistance of the relevant trade or professional body to help save the parties costs.
