Lockdown has created a significant backlog in the courts. Consider using mediation instead.
Mediation provides a swift, cost-effective alternative to waiting for a court hearing to resolve your commercial dispute.
The pandemic has created a backlog of cases in the courts system. Based on the last statistical release from the Ministry of Justice, it now takes around a year for a small claim (<£10k) to reach trial, and slightly longer for fast track (£10k-£25k) and multi-track (>£25k) claims.
Unless you have a point of law to test, you probably don't even need to go to court. Many cases can be resolved through mediation. As Lord Justice McFarlane puts it:
“Signing up just to sit down in a room with a mediator and see where you get to cannot be a bad idea.” (Kelly v Miller & Ors, [2014] EWCA Civ 1151)
Mediators are trained to help businesses reach an out-of-court settlement to their dispute.
I am an accredited mediator with an extensive business background. For disputes under £25k, I charge £250 (split between the two parties, so £125 each) and the process will take half a day. It is possible that we could have your dispute resolved by the end of next week.
If you'd like to find out more about how I can help you, give me a call (07515 116800) or drop me an email (bruce@brucegreig.com)
