How we help

CEDR operate a commercial adjudication service for businesses and the public sector for disputes that require a binding written decision from a qualified neutral in circumstances where resolving the issues by means of arbitration or litigation is considered to be too slow and/or too expensive.

CEDR Rules for Commercial Adjudication For more information on the process see the CEDR Rules for Commercial Adjudication.

The Process

CEDR operate a commercial adjudication service for businesses and the public sector for disputes that require a binding written decision from a qualified neutral in circumstances where resolving the issues by means of arbitration or litigation is considered to be too slow and/or too expensive.

CEDR operates a service under the CEDR Rules for Commercial Adjudication which provide for a decision to be made based on the written submissions of the parties, by the nominated adjudicator within 28 days of the receipt of a Referral Notice. This can be extended to 42 days with the consent of the referring party or for a longer period if all parties agree.

Adjudication can be used for contractual disputes of many kinds where the issues are relatively narrow and the documentation the adjudicator is required to absorb is concise. Examples of recent uses include:

  • Interpretation of a cancellation clause in a contract for the provision of equipment
  • Interpretation of franchise agreement
  • Interpretation of outsourcing contracts

For more information on the process see the CEDR Rules for Commercial Adjudication.

  • An administration fee of £3,000 is charged to the referring party, or split between all parties by consent, at the time of formal nomination of the adjudicator.
  • Adjudicators fees are charged at hourly rates, which will vary between £150 and £800 per hour subject to the expertise of the nominated adjudicator.

All fees are subject to the addition of VAT at the prevailing rate.

  1. Parties complete an Application Form
  2. CEDR will nominate a suitably skilled adjudicator within five days following consultation with the parties. When selecting the adjudicator, CEDR takes into account the expertise required to adjudicate the specific dispute and the value of the claim. As most adjudications are conducted entirely in writing, we do not take into account the adjudicator's geographical location unless the referring party requests CEDR to do so.
  3. Once nominated, the adjudicator will communicate directly with the parties to finalize the scope of the adjudication and agree on final terms and conditions. CEDR will provide administrative assistance to the parties and the adjudicator throughout the process.