Arbitration agreements require that persons who signed them resolve any disputes by binding arbitration, rather than in court before a judge and/or jury. What is binding arbitration? Binding arbitration involves the submission of a dispute to a neutral party who hears the case and makes a decision.
Arbitration might be the right choice for some cases. Limited discovery rights and costs might be useful when less is at stake. Arbitration might feel less adversarial, which could be an advantage where ongoing relationships are hoped to be preserved. Arbitration lends some confidentiality.
It's typically a clause in a broader contract in which you agree to settle out of court, through arbitration cases, any dispute that arises with your counterpart.
The other unacknowledged motivation behind forced employment arbitration is that employers want to keep disputes a secret. By forcing employees to litigate their disputes in a private setting, corporations can avoid the bad press that accompanies trials.
Under California law, you cannot be fired solely for refusing to sign an arbitration agreement. The California Labor Code provides strong protections for employees, ensuring that refusal to sign an arbitration agreement cannot be used as grounds for termination.
In some instances, you may be able to sue if you signed a valid arbitration agreement. While courts generally favor arbitration agreements, they will allow you to file a lawsuit if either you didn't understand your rights or your claims fall outside the arbitration provision's scope.
FINRA requires investors and other parties to file their arbitration claims via the DR Portal—except for investors representing themselves, who have the option to file by mail. If you are new to the DR Portal, please create an account. Login to the DR Portal and select “File a New Arbitration Claim” in the left column.
Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.
After drafting the Motion to Compel Arbitration, you'll need to file it with the court clerk. You can do this in person or let an attorney do it for you if you have one. Filing requirements vary from one court to another; you need to consult with the court clerk about local rules for filing that apply to your case.
A claimant will typically start arbitration by sending a document known as a “request for arbitration” or a “notice to arbitrate” to its opponent.