Arbitration.Inc is an online arbitration forum. It takes a dispute from filing to a written award under its published Rules, at arbitration.inc/rules. Arbitration.Inc is a neutral administrator. It does not act for either side, is not a law firm, and does not give legal advice.
Arbitration is a private way to resolve a dispute outside of court. Instead of a judge, a neutral decision maker reviews each side's evidence and issues a written decision called an award. On Arbitration.Inc, everything happens online and on the written record, under published Rules.
No. Arbitration only applies when both sides have agreed to it. That agreement can be made before the dispute, usually as an arbitration clause in a contract, or after the dispute arises. If the other side never agreed, Arbitration.Inc cannot force them into arbitration.
No, in the normal case. Cases are decided on the written record: each side submits its statement and its documents online, and no one has to appear in person or travel. Because there is no hearing, each side should include everything it wants considered.
No. The platform is built so people and businesses can file, respond and upload evidence on their own. You are always free to work with a lawyer, especially for a larger or complicated matter, or when you take an award to court.
Yes. Under the Rules, case materials and submissions are kept confidential, and the case is not placed on a public court docket. If a party later asks a court to confirm the award, the court filing may become public under that court's rules.
Yes. An independent auditor has examined Arbitration.Inc's controls for security, confidentiality and availability and issued a SOC 2 Type II report. We can share the report on request.
Is it binding?
Yes. When both sides have agreed to arbitrate under the Rules, the award is final and binding under our published Rules. It is a decision, not a suggestion. A party can ask a court of competent jurisdiction to confirm it, which turns it into a court judgment. Arbitration.Inc does not guarantee the enforceability of any award. Awards may be enforceable.
Because the parties agreed in advance to accept the decision. The Federal Arbitration Act treats a written agreement to arbitrate as valid, and it allows a party to ask a court to confirm the award. Florida's arbitration statute, which the Rules use to fill gaps, works the same way. Courts can set an award aside only on narrow grounds.
There are two ways. First, the arbitration clause is already in the contract before the dispute starts, so the parties agreed to arbitrate any later dispute when they signed. Second, if there is no clause, the other side can agree to arbitrate the existing dispute when the claim is opened. In that case the agreement, and the binding effect, start at that moment. Federal law covers both kinds of written agreement. A respondent who accepts the Rules online when responding to a claim makes that kind of written agreement.
You can still use Arbitration.Inc if the other side agrees to arbitrate after the dispute arises. If they do not agree, arbitration does not apply, and you may need to use another option, such as small claims court. When you file, you are asked to provide the agreement to arbitrate or explain why the dispute belongs in arbitration.
Generally, yes. Under the federal E-SIGN Act, a contract relating to a transaction in commerce cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic or was signed electronically. Whether a particular online agreement was properly formed still depends on its facts, such as whether the person saw the terms and agreed to them.
Not in the usual sense. There is no appeal on the merits. A court can vacate (set aside) or correct an award only on narrow grounds, such as fraud, corruption, evident partiality, an arbitrator exceeding their powers, or a clear miscalculation. Under federal law, notice of a motion to vacate or modify must be served within three months after the award is filed or delivered. Under Florida law, a motion to vacate generally must be filed within 90 days after notice of the award.
Who decides: AI and Human Review
Unless a party chooses Human Review, the Arbitration.Inc AI system decides the case under the published Rules. It reviews the full written record from both sides, applies the Rules, and issues a written, reasoned award. Either side can choose Human Review, an optional add-on, for an added fee.
An AI-issued award lets a small dispute be decided at a fixed, low price and in a short time. The same Rules and the same review steps apply to every case, so similar cases are treated alike. The award is based only on the record the parties submit.
Human Review is an optional paid add-on in which a human arbitrator decides the case. Its fee is $199. The claimant can choose it when filing, and the respondent can choose it when responding. Some parties may choose it for a larger, more detailed or more contested matter.
The process is the same for both sides. The respondent receives notice of the claim and has a fixed time to respond with its own statement and evidence. The claimant always carries the burden of proof, and an award is based on the evidence in the record. Arbitration.Inc acts for neither side.
Cost and timing
A case costs $99 to file, whatever the amount in dispute. Fees are paid in credits, and one credit equals $1, so a case is 99 credits. The respondent pays a $30 fee to respond, which the claimant can choose to pay instead. Human Review is an optional $199 add-on. See full pricing
The respondent has 14 calendar days to respond. A business filer can choose a 21 or 30 day response period instead.
The time to an award depends on when notice is completed and when the response comes in. Arbitration.Inc does not promise a date.
The case can go forward without them. The claimant still has to prove the claim with evidence, and the decision is made on the merits, so there is no automatic win. Ignoring a case does not stop it.
Price, speed and convenience. A case has a fixed, published price, is handled entirely online and on the written record, and needs no hearing or travel. Court and conventional arbitration often involve more fees, more formal steps and longer schedules, which can cost more than a small dispute is worth. It is only available where both sides agreed to arbitrate.
After the award: turning it into a court judgment
The award is a final and binding decision between the parties under our published Rules. Many parties simply comply with it. If a party does not, the other side can ask a court to confirm the award. Arbitration.Inc does not collect money or take action against anyone on a party's behalf.
The usual steps are: (1) Gather the signed award and a copy of the agreement to arbitrate. (2) File a petition or motion to confirm the award in a court of competent jurisdiction, before the deadline. (3) Give the other side formal notice of what you filed, as the court's rules require. (4) If there is no valid reason to set the award aside, the court confirms it and enters a judgment. (5) After that, the judgment can be collected like any other court judgment. Local court rules and filing fees vary, and some people use a lawyer for this step. The outcome is up to the court.
Under the Federal Arbitration Act, an application to confirm may be made within one year after the award is made. Other deadlines may apply depending on the court and the law it uses, so it is best not to wait.
You file in a court of competent jurisdiction, meaning a court that has authority over the case and the parties. For most small disputes this is a state court. A federal court can hear a confirmation request only if it has its own, independent basis for jurisdiction. Cases under the Rules are seated in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Under Florida law, an agreement to arbitrate in Florida gives Florida courts exclusive jurisdiction to enter judgment on the award, so a request to confirm generally belongs in a Florida court.
Yes, but only on narrow grounds, such as fraud, evident partiality, no agreement to arbitrate, lack of proper notice, or the decision maker exceeding its powers. A disagreement with the result is not by itself enough. The statutes direct the court to confirm the award unless it is vacated, modified or corrected, but the decision belongs to the court.
A judgment entered on a confirmed award has the same force and effect as any other judgment of that court. Collection then follows that court's normal judgment procedures, which vary by state. Arbitration.Inc does not take part in collection.
Yes. Businesses can add an arbitration clause that names Arbitration.Inc and its published Rules, so disputes that arise later go to Arbitration.Inc. Whether a clause works for your contracts, customers and states is a question for your own lawyer.
Here is sample wording: “The parties agree that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to this agreement, including its formation, interpretation, performance or breach, shall be resolved by final and binding arbitration administered by Arbitration.Inc under its Rules (arbitration.inc/rules). Each party may bring claims against the other only in its individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective or representative proceeding.” Place the clause where the other side will see it, and make sure they agree to it, for example by signing or by checking a box. This is sample wording only. Whether it fits your contracts, customers and states is a question for your own lawyer.
Yes. Cases can be created through the Arbitration.Inc API. The documentation is at docs.arb.inc.