Adjudication

Adjudication is a quick and relatively inexpensive way of having a dispute looked at by an independent third party who will decide whether a claim is justified or not and the "award" the adjudicator makes, subject to limited circumstances, recognised and enforced by the Court until the issues have been decided in either arbitration or litigation.

A party will either have the right to refer a dispute to adjudication because of an appropriate contractual clause in the contract or because they satisfy the criteria laid down in the relevant legislation.

Adjudication is not a perfect scheme because the time limits often do not require as detailed an examination of the evidence when compared to litigation or arbitration; however it has a significant advantage of obtaining a preliminary assessment of the merits or weaknesses of a claim within a short period of time. More often than not the parties will accept the outcome of the adjudication or at least base subsequent negotiations on the decision without the need for litigation or arbitration proceedings.

To discuss how we can assist you please email Richard Millard or call him on 01908 692769.