Dispute Resolution

Will I have to go to court?

Not necessarily. While some cases do end up having to be heard by a judge in the County Court or High Court, or at Tribunal, many more are settled long before they get to that stage.

There are ways and means of bringing a dispute to an end. Some cases are resolved by a single letter from one of our dispute resolution solicitors. Others take a little longer, and perhaps call for a period of negotiation. As a firm, we promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which offers more informal, less adversarial, ways of resolving issues than litigation. Within our team of dispute resolution solicitors are specialists in mediation and arbitration, for example, who can bring about more amicable results than litigation produces, at less cost to clients.

We are also skilled advocates, so if your case can only be resolved by a court (where your opponent refuses to negotiate or to enter into ADR, for example), rest assured that we will fight your corner and get the best possible outcome for you. Although our dispute resolution solicitors are based in Tamworth and in Ashby, we represent clients in courts and tribunals throughout England and Wales.

I’m worried that getting lawyers involved in my dispute could make matters worse. Is that a legitimate concern?

It is a legitimate concern, because choosing the wrong lawyer - one who doesn’t have the necessary expertise - could prove costly in all sorts of ways. However, a specialist dispute resolution lawyer will be equipped to judge the situation well; for example, they’ll understand the need to preserve relationships where a dispute is between family members. They will also advise you on the best way of bringing the dispute to an end, whether that is through robust correspondence with your opponent, or by advising you in the background (so that it may not be evident that you have a solicitor involved at all).

In the vast majority of cases, there really is no substitute for getting early advice from a dispute resolution solicitor who has a proven track record in advising people who find themselves in similar situations as you. It needn’t mean that you are taking the dispute to a new level. In fact you will probably find that your opponent has been to see their solicitor, too.

What will you need from me when we first meet?

Everything that is, or might be, relevant to the dispute. Maybe it’s a one-page letter from your landlord, threatening legal action. Maybe it’s a lever-arch file of correspondence, contracts, and other documents. We’ll need the whole story, and the sooner you can give us the full picture, the better able we will be to start getting you out of the problem.

That said, if you don’t have a file of paperwork, don’t worry. Meet with us, tell us what has happened, and we will work with you to pull everything together. A chronology is always extremely useful, so if you could sit down and write out everything that has gone on, in date order, that will not only help focus your mind but it will be a great starting point for us.

How much will my case cost?

Every case is different, and we assess the likely cost of each once we know more about it. It usually happens that the longer a case lasts, the more work will be involved and the higher our overall fees are likely to be. However, some cases require urgent, intensive action and while they might take fewer days, weeks, or months to resolve, the amount of work undertaken will be considerable.

One thing we can promise from the outset is that we will help you keep track of the cost of your case. Your dispute resolution solicitor will give you an estimate of his or her fees, and will invoice agreed amounts on a regular basis. This spirit of transparency extends to us encouraging clients to talk to us, at any time, about any concerns they have, or any further clarification that is needed.