Business arbitration services

Do you need a legal claim decided - but are worried about the time, complexity and spiralling costs involved in litigation? Would it help if there was a way of getting the matter decided by an expert who knows your sector and who you trust to come up with the right decision, on a fixed price basis?

At LawBite, we understand how costly litigation can be, financially and time-wise which is why our arbitration services are affordable and accessible to all businesses. Our Arbitrators can support your business needs from helping you learn more about the arbitration process in the UK to providing general arbitration advice. 

Whether you are a small business starting out or a more mature enterprise, it's likely that a dispute will arise that needs to be addressed. You can book a free 15-minute lawyer consultation to find out more about how our arbitration services can support your business.

What is Arbitration?

There are several ways to manage disputes, from negotiation to mediation. However, arbitration is one of the most formal alternative dispute resolution methods, and because it doesn’t take place through the Courts it is quicker and more affordable. 

The arbitration process in the UK involves appointing a trained and neutral third party, otherwise known as an arbitrator, to decide the dispute for the parties. The arbitrator is chosen by the parties and is an expert in their business sector. They are appointed on a fixed-price basis, though either or both sides may incur other legal costs if they use lawyers to represent them in the arbitration.

What arbitration services can we support you with

We are proud to provide professional arbitration services to small businesses in the UK. Our arbitration lawyers and solicitors can support you with the following:

  • Drafting arbitration clauses to go into your contracts
  • Help persuade the other party to accept arbitration if it is not included in the contract
  • Assist you with sourcing an accredited third-party arbitrator
  • Provide arbitration advice on how best to prepare for the arbitration
  • Attend any arbitration meetings or hearings with you
  • Help you present or defend the claim by providing expert arbitration advice
  • Help you negotiate a settlement of the claim with the other side on the best terms for you

Our arbitration services are designed to give you the best possible chance of resolving your dispute. Contact us today to discuss how our arbitration lawyers can help get the best result for you and your business.

talk to a lawyer

Talk to a Lawyer

Book a Call
get started

Essentials Plan

Join for Free
 

Expert legal advice in 3 easy steps

LawBite is committed to delivering high-quality legal advice with no hidden extra charges. Our straightforward legal advice process will help get your legal matters resolved quickly and cost-effectively.

View our pricing
enquire

1. Make an enquiry

Book a free call with one of our friendly lawyers, solicitors or mediators at a time that suits you. Our platform will immediately match you with the right legal expert.

speak to your lawyer

2. Speak to an expert

On your call, they'll assess your requirements and provide you with the next steps and a breakdown of the work required.

get your quote

3. Get a fixed-price quote

Our team will then send you a no-obligation, fixed-price quote. When you accept your quote, we'll get started on your legal work.

Frequently asked questions

LawBite is the modern way for SMEs to get the high quality legal advice they need, but faster and cheaper.

As we look to revolutionise the traditional legal process, this may raise a number of questions on how we operate to provide your business with legal advice for your business that is; easier to access, clearer to understand and more affordable.

We have brought together the most frequently asked questions from our customers.

It is possible to conduct arbitration in person, but the reason most businesses choose to use a lawyer is because of the guidance they provide, not just on the procedure but also on the law and on tactics.

A party that does not agree with an award made by an arbitrator can challenge the award, usually within 28 days, by making an application to Court.

Arbitration works in much the same way as a traditional Court case with the big difference being that the parties control the process.
This includes who gets chosen to be the ”judge” and a more flexible approach to timings. The parties exchange their statements of case, undertake disclosure, exchange witness statements, call witnesses to the stand, cross-examine witnesses and present closing arguments in much the same way as a traditional Court.

An arbitrator does, like a traditional judge, weighs up the evidence and makes a decision based on the evidence.

Any dispute can potentially be suitable for arbitration. The ones most suitable for arbitration are disputes that must be resolved as quickly as possible.

This depends on how quickly the parties want to move because the time table has to be set by the parties. The construction industry has introduced a 100-day arbitration scheme which is realistically the quickest you can expect arbitration to be concluded.

An award by an arbitrator is a final award and there are only limited circumstances where a party who does not agree with an award can refer the matter to Court to review the award.

This will depend on the nature of your business and the potential value of the contract. Arbitration can be more expensive than traditional litigation and if you are not careful you could find yourself in a situation where your contract states that you must refer the dispute to arbitration, but due to the relatively low value of your claim it does not make economic sense to do so. However, if you have a high value claim that must be resolved quickly, arbitration would be the best option and having an arbitration clause in your contract could prove invaluable.

Both parties must agree to arbitration. This agreement can be reached before a dispute arises, usually in the form of an arbitration clause in a contract, or after a dispute arises in the form of an agreement to arbitrate.

Arbitration, by definition, is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). “A way to resolve disputes outside the courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the “arbitrators”, “arbiters” or “arbitral tribunal”), which renders the “arbitration award”.” 

An arbitration award is legally binding on both sides and enforceable in the courts.

Arbitration could be expensive and for a typical straight forward dispute you should budget for at least £10,000. This amount will increase if the dispute is complicated or if the process becomes protracted. 
The parties must agree who pays the arbitrator’s fees. Usually both parties agree to be jointly and severally liable for the arbitrator’s fees or they agree to split the costs of the arbitrator’s fees equally. The arbitrator has a wide discretion to award legal costs to be paid by one party to the other. In most cases, the arbitrator tries to follow the costs rules of the Court when awarding legal costs.

There are several advantages to arbitration. Some of these advantages include control over the process, control over choosing a suitable arbitrator – perhaps with expert knowledge and the relative speed of the process.

The parties must agree who pays the arbitrator’s fees. Usually both parties agree to be jointly and severally liable for the arbitrator’s fees or they agree to split the costs of the arbitrator’s fees equally. The arbitrator has a wide discretion to award legal costs to be paid by one party to the other. In most cases, the arbitrator tries to follow the costs rules of the Court when awarding legal costs.

How can LawBite help?

Our LawBriefs can provide expert guidance and reassurance, whether you are bringing or defending a legal claim, or resolving a dispute using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods like Mediation and Arbitration.

talk to a lawyer

Talk to a Lawyer

Book a Call
essentials

Essentials Plan

Join for Free