Alternative dispute resolution has become increasingly popular in the US in the past decades, with mediation and arbitration being the most well-known methods. If you have had the good fortune not to be involved in many court cases, ADR may be completely new to you at first—and you may be surprised to find that the courts even encourage (or in some instances require it) such methods.
It is no secret that courts are backed up significantly in most states, and this can add insult to injury if you are waiting to have a stressful case heard. There may not be room on the court calendar for months and then once you do get there, delays could ensue, leading to more months of waiting—not to mention if you are forced to ask for a scheduling change, heaping on more time. No matter what type of ADR is used, those involved can usually look forward to greater flexibility in scheduling, more expediency in having the case resolved, and much less money spent in the end.
Judicial reference is another form of ADR, used in California, with a referee to be chosen by the parties involved. As with arbitration or mediation, if a referee cannot be agreed on, then it is left up to the court. The referee in many cases may be someone with extensive law experience and may even be a retired judge or a lawyer. The referee may also be an individual who has experience in business or another related area.
Evidence and testimony can be heard just as in a courtroom, but within the judicial reference it is possible that only a portion of the case may be heard. A jury trial is waived, but the proceedings of the judicial reference are public. The parties in dispute are responsible for paying the referee, who has 20 days after the hearing to give their decision over to the court—after which it can be appealed if one party is not satisfied with the results.
Just as with arbitration and mediation, dispute resolution clauses within contracts in California may designate judicial reference as the mode of resolution rather than litigation or another type of ADR.
Attorney Shane Coons is highly skilled in all methods of ADR, to include mediation, arbitration, and California’s judicial reference system. If you have a legal issue and want to learn more about the best alternative dispute resolution process for your case, please call Shane Coons now at 949-333-0900 or email us at Shane.Coons@seclawoffices.com.