Dispute Resolution Flashcards
Litigation
Using the courts to progress a claim, eventually to trial if it can’t be resolved first
Benefits of litigation
- Certainty of outcome
- Merits assessed by a judge
- Create a binding precedent
Disadvantages of litigation
- Exepense
- Restrictions on remedies
- Antagonistic
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Mediation, negotiation and arbitration
Mediation and negotiation can be a standalone alternative to litigation or part of litigation when parties take time out to settle dispute
Arbitration is only an alternative to litigation
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Mediation, negotiation and arbitration
Mediation and negotiation can be a standalone alternative to litigation or part of litigation when parties take time out to settle dispute
Arbitration is only an alternative to litigation
Refusal to engage in ADR
Courts has no power to order parties to engage in ADR
BUT the court can restrict the costs of the party that unreasonably refused to engage in ADR e.g. defendant may not have to pay any costs that arose after the proposed mediation which the claimant refused to engage in and potentially the claimant may have to pay the defendants costs over that period
Litigation general rule: unsuccessful party must pay the successful party’s legal costs
Arbitration
Parties agree by contract to appoint one neutral third party (arbitrator) to resolve the dispute (can agree to be more than one arbitrator)
Parties agree to the rules that the arbitration will follow in terms of (the arbitration clause):
- How the arbitrator should be appointed, - Where the hearing will take place
- The rules of evidences
Arbitrator determines matters of fact and law in accordance with the rules agreed between the parties
A party can request the court to not progress the claim (granting a stay) on the basis the parties have entered a binding agreement to arbitrate BUT both parties can agree to dispense with arbitration and use litigation
Mediation
Mediator is appointed by the parties as a neutral whose role it is to help the parties come to an agreement
Mediator = facilator
No requirement for mediator to be legally qualified and don’t need to have any technical knowledge of the area in dispute
Mediator has licence to explore issues that a judge or arbitrator does not e.g. how one party’s behaviour has made the other feels
Overriding objective of CPR
Deal with cases fairly and proportionately
Pre-action considerations: limitation periods
Breach of contract claims: 6 years
Construction claims (based on building defects after 6 year contract period has lapsed): 3 years from date claimant knew or ought to have known material facts to bring a claim against the builder BUT no claims after 15 years (long stop date)
Tort claims for personal injury and death: 3 years
All other tort claims: 6 years
Defamation claims: 1 year
Unfair dismissal claims: 3 months
When does the time period starts and stops for the purposes of calculating limitation periods?
Tort claims:
Start: day after the tortious act occurred or the day after the date of knowledge Stop: day claimant delivers claim form to the court
Exception: clinical negligence - time period begins on the claimant’s date of knowledge
Contract claims:
Start: day after the date of breach
Stop: day claimant delivers claim form to the court
Once the limitation period expires the claimant cannot make amendments to their claim such as adding a new defendant but minor amendments to reflect incorrect spelling of names is allowed
Limitation periods: special cases
Minors: begins on 18th birthday
Mental incapacity: begins when incapacity is removed
Fraud or concealment: begins when discovered or when should have been discovered
Mistake; begins when discovered or when should have been discovered
Purpose of pre-action protocol
To obtain information to:
- Negotiate
- Settle
-Lay ground for proceedings if settlement is not achievable
Practice direction on pre-action conduct and protocols (standard)
Steps:
1. Claimant: write to defendant with concise details of claim
2. Defendant responds in reasonable time (14 days for straightforward case/ 3 months max in complex case)
3. Disclosure of key documents
4. Court permission required for expert evidence (parties should consider a single joint expert if expert necessary)
5. Parties consider alternative dispute resolution
6. Take stock of positions before court action e.g. in best interests to commence proceedings
Specific protocols
Personal injury protocol
- Applies to claims up to £25,000 and excludes low value road traffic accidents (less than £25,000)
Specific steps in additional to the standard protocol :
1.Letter of claim must identify hospital and request details of defendant’s insurer
2. Parties should jointly select an expert who will prepare a report for the claimant which they must disclose to the defendant
Key differences from standard protocol:
- Parties can disapply protocol by agreement BUT need to show good reason
- Claimant needs to indicate in letter of claim if they wish to appoint protocol referee
- Parties should meet within 21 days of defendants response to narrow issues
Construction and engineering protocol includes residential building work e.g. new bath fitted
Failure to comply with protocol
- Sanctions
a. Adverse cost consequences once case is concluded e.g. may not be allowed to recover costs if claim is successful but refused defendants offer of ADR
BUT in certain cases it is justified to issue a claim without following the pre-action protocol
Pre-action applications
- Pre-action disclosure: request for relevant documents in the control of another party MUST be shown disclosure is necessary to investigate claim properly
- Pre-action inspection of property: must be shown that the property is relevant to the issues in the proceedings
Costs
Unsuccessful party pays for successful party’s costs - applies to costs incurred following the pre-action protocol
If parties resolve dispute during pre-action protocol period it is up to parties to agree costs as part of settlement
If parties can’t agree how to resolve dispute during pre-action protocol stage but claimant decides not to issue claim the defendant can’t recover their costs incurred in complying with protocol
Starting a claim
- Complete claim form and send to court
- Court issues claim - this stops time for limitation purposes
Selecting the correct court
High court: claims of £100,000+ or £50,000+ for personal injury cases OR if claim ought to be dealt with by High Court judge
Reasons to start claim in high court:
1. Value of claim/amount in dispute
2. Complexity of facts, legal issues, remedies or procedures involved
3. Importance of outcome to public in general
Simple claims even if £100,000+ won’t be suitable for issue in High Court
All other cases heard in county court (most)
Exceptions:
Claims of significant public interest even if below £100,000 may be issued in the High Court and vice versa
Types of county court claims and their processes
Claim for debts owed (specified claims) are issued by completing an online claim form (money claim form) which are then issued by a virtual court (County Court Money Claims Centre)
Claims for damages (unspecified claims) are issued by completing a standard claims form (N1), defendant files defence statement, claim issued in the county court closest to the defendants home address or if defendant is a company then the claimants nearest county court
High Court
Outside London, high court centres are known as District Registries
Divisions of High Court:
1. Family Division
1. King’s Bench Division
- Defamation
- Breach of contract
- Negligence
- Personal injury
- Land possession
- Non-payment of debts
2. Chancery Division
3. Family Division
High Court
Outside London, high court centres are known as District Registries
Divisions of High Court:
1. Family Division
2. King’s Bench Division
- Defamation
- Breach of contract
- Negligence
- Personal injury
- Land possession
- Non-payment of debts
2a. Technology and construction court (TCC): only claims of £250,000+
2b. Commercial court: only complex cases (mainly international)
3. Chancery Division
- Equity and trusts
- Commercial fraud
- Tax
- Intellectual property
- Land
- Business disputes
- Contentious probate
- Regulatory work
- Bankruptcy
- Professional negligence
3a. Bankruptcy court
3b. Companies court: technical applications made under the Companies Act
Issuing and serving the claim form
- Complete claim form
- Name court and parties
Claim form contents
- Nature of claim
- Remedies sought
- Statement of value (how much expects to recover in damages but disregard interest, costs and contributory negligence) e.g. amount of debt if a specified sum
3a. County court amount statements
- Not more than £10,000
- More than £10,000
- More than £25,000
3b. High court amount statements
- More than £100,000 for non-personal injury claims
- £50,000 or more for personal injury claims
Court fees
Claims between £10,000 to £200,000 = fee 5% of the value of the claim
Claims of more than £200,000 = £10,000 fee
Particulars of claim
Formal written statement setting out in detail the nature of the claimants case
Statement of truth
Declaration that the facts stated within the claim form are true
Issuing of the claim form stops time running for limitation purposes and starts time running for service
Part 7 claim form
Claimant must send enough copies to serve each defendant and a copy for the court file
The claimant can choose to serve the defendant or request to court to do so
If the court is serving the claim form a notice of funding should be attached to confirm how the claim is being funded
Litigation friend
Used if a claimant is under 18 or lacks capacity
A certificate of the suitability of the litigation friend must be included with the claim form
Part 8 claim
Reserved for situations where parties don’t dispute facts but require claim to be brought before court e.g. court must approve settlement on behalf of someone under 18
Claimants solicitor must state:
- Why part 8 applies
- The questions/remedies the claimant wants the courts to decide
- Legal basis to claim
- Capacity for representative if claim made in a representative capacity
Claimant must serve witness evidence with claim form
Claim form should include particulars fo claim
Any statements in support must contain a statement of truth
Serving the claim form
When?
- Within England and Wales: 4 months
- Outside England and Wales: 6 months
- Application for an extension can be made but must be within these time frames
Who? Solicitor or court
What?
- Claim form
- Particulars of claim
- Medical reports,
- Schedules of past and future losses and expenses
- Notice of funding
- Litigation friend certificate of suitability
- Response pack (acknowledgement of service, defend or contest jurisdiction)
How?
- Court = first class post
- Solicitor = variety of methods:
1. Service on solicitor: required if solicitor representing defendant - personal service not allowed if represented
2. Personal service on either:
a. Individual
b. Company = senior personnel (chairman, CEO, managing director or company director)
c. Firm = partner or person in charge of partnerships officer
- The individual served must physically take hold of the papers
3. Service at company’s registered officer: leaving it at or sending by post - allowed even if solicitors nominated to accept service (exception to rule for personal service)
4. Fax
5. Document exchange (DX)
6. Email: only if by express consent given
7. Post: current or last known address
If necessary claimant can apply to court for service by an alternative method or at alternative place (can be made retrospectively once service is made by claimant) e.g. by email even where express consent from defendant hasn’t been given
When is service deemed complete?
Claim form: Indisuptuable presumption that the claim form was served on the SECOND BUSINESS DAY AFTER the relevant step required for service has occurred
All other documents: deemed served only on a business day i.e. received on a Sunday would not be deemed served until Monday
If claim form is served with particulars of claim to follow the particulars of claim need to be served within 14 days of service of the claim form
Service outside of jurisdiction
Courts permission is required for service of a claim form outside of the jurisdiction EXCEPT for Scotland, Northern Ireland and all other locations in the United Kingdom
A claimant can make a without notice application to serve a claim form on a defendant outside the jurisdiction
The limitation period for fatal accident claims are measured from the date of death
Non-specified claims for damages are issued out of the County Court Money Claims Centre (a few exceptions)
All County Court damages claims are issued in the CCMCC
Defendant’s response to claim
14 days after date of deemed service of particulars of claim
Defendant’s response to proceedings
- Admit claim
or - File and serve a defence
or - File acknowledgement of service: effect of this extends time to serve defence to 28 days or if complex ask for extension from claimant by agreement or court i.e. 58 days to file defence
Specified claim = debt
Unspecified claim = damages
Admitting a specified claim
Pay, if within 14 days, judgement is NOT recorded e.g. won’t affect credit rating if debt paid in 14 days
Ask for time to pay or to pay in instalments
Admitting an unspecified claim
- Case is stayed i.e. hearing set
- Court will determine damages
Calculating due date of defence
Clear day
When period is referencing an event the day of the event is not included i.e date of deemed service would be the day after the date of deemed service
Weekends and bank holidays don’t count
Claimant’s actions after acknowledgement filed
- Application for summary judgement
- Application for interim payment
When the defendant disputes court’s jurisdiction
Typically happens when defendant believes parties have already agreed contractually to a different forum e.g. courts of a different jurisdiction or arbitration
Steps:
1. Tick box on acknowledgement of service
- Within 14 days make an application supported with written evidence
- Defence need not be filed if jurisdiction is disputed as it could waive jurisdiction argument
Default judgement
Consequence of defendant failing to file a defence within the specified period
Effects of default judgment:
1. Defendant not permitted to defend claim
2. Must pay specified claim amount or damages awarded by the court in an unspecified claim
Setting aside default judgement
On application court will decide if:
- Defendant has a real prospect of success
AND - Defendant has a good reason for the default e.g. key member of staff was away when defence was due to be served and acted promptly once realised mistake
AND - Defendant must have acted diligently to have the default set aside
Court can impose conditions on defendant to set-aside e.g. pay a fee to court
Statements of case
- Particulars of claim
- Defence
- Reply
Statements of case
Provides outline of party’s case on liability, causation and quantum (sets out facts and not conclusions of law)
Within power of court to strike out an inadequate statement of case if it doesn’t adequately address above points
Particulars of claim must include: breach of contract claim
- Facts showing contract
- Facts showing breach
- Statement of damages sought
- Statement of truth
Claims for interest
Breach of contract claims:
- Interest assessed from date of breach (pursuant to particular clause in contract)
- Statutory interest provided by court - not fixed - at courts discretion (if contract doesn’t provide for interest)
- Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act
Types of defences
- Procedural
- Lack of jurisdiction
- Arbitration agreement
- Expiration of limitation period - Denial of element of claim
- Damages
Any allegation in particulars of claim not responded to is deemed admitted
Defendants responses to allegations
- Admit to allegation
- Deny the allegations - state reason and set out alternative version of events
(defendant’s positive case) - Neither admit nor deny if outside their knowledge
Defendant can admit damages while denying liability - defendant pays only if court finds claim proved
Defence of set off: if defendant claims claimant owes money they can file a defence seeking to reduce amount owed to claimant
Reply
Claimant may respond to defence
Part 20 claims
- Third party claim: allows defendants to bring claims against other parties who the defendant says are liable for the claimants loss - either part or all of the claim
- Counter-claim: allows defendant to make claims against the claimant
- Claim for contribution (some): claim served against another party requesting that they contribute to damages that the defendant is ordered to pay the claimant
- Claim for indemnity (all): claim served against another party requesting that they contribute to damages that the defendant is ordered to pay the claimant
A third party can only be added by order of the court
Serving and responding to Part 20 Claims
Part 20 claims are regarded as separate claims to original claim
No court permission required if done with defence - if made later requires court permission
A fee is payable as if Part 20 claim is a fresh claim
Defendant doesn’t have to give notice to claimant in order to bring in a third party or to seek contribution or indemnity unless ordered by court to do so
Particulars of Part 20 must be contained in or served with additional claim
A Part 20 made where permission isn’t necessary must be served on each party to the claim when the defence is filed or if a Part 20 claim is made later it must be served on the person against whom it’s made within 14 days of issue
Defence to counter-claim must be served within 14 days of date of service - failing which the defendant can obtain judgement on the counter-claim
A defendant may serve a reply on defence to counter-claim to address issues which require a response or were not dealt with in the particulars of claim
Additional claims bought by defendant: additional party must serve a defence if already a party - if additional party fails to acknowledge or defend claim they are deemed to admit main action and are bound by outcome
New party must file an acknowledgement and/or defence and if not they are deemed to admit main action and are bound by outcome
Requests for further information
Any party can make a request to clarify any matter in dispute or for further information
Request should be reasonably necessary and proportionate
Process:
1. Make formal request to other party
2. If no response, then application to court - court can consider matter without a hearing
If the party refuses to provide additional information they should state why - court will list a hearing to consider request
Amendment to a statement of case
Before served it can be amended at any time
BUT adding or removing a party requires court permission
Substituting a defendant
When is it necessary?
1. Mistake in naming
2. Claim can’t be properly carried on by or against the original party unless new party is added or substituted as claimant or defendant
3. Original party has died or has bankruptcy order made against them and their liability has passed to new party
Case management
Court allocates case to the relevant track
- Small claims
- Fast track
- Multiple track
Court ignores any sums not in dispute, interest, costs and contributory negligence for the purposes of allocation
Case management
Court allocates case to the relevant track
- Small claims
- Fast track
- Multiple track
Court ignores any sums not in dispute, interest, costs and contributory negligence for the purposes of allocation
Small claims track
Trial
- Less formal procedure
- District judge hears case
- Hearing may take place without parties in attendance
- Recoverable costs restricted to fixed costs and reasonable costs
- Expert fees usually restricted to £725
- Costs are lower in this court
- Easier for party to represent themselves
- Application can be made to set aside a decision by a party not in attendance - within 14 days of service of Order - must prove they had good reason for not attending - party’s claim or defence must have reasonable prospects of success
Small claims track
Trial
- Less formal procedure
- District judge hears case
- Hearing may take place without parties in attendance
- Recoverable costs restricted to fixed costs and reasonable costs
- Expert fees usually restricted to £725
- Costs are lower in this court
- Easier for party to represent themselves
- Application can be made to set aside a decision by a party not in attendance - within 14 days of service of Order - must prove they had good reason for not attending - party’s claim or defence must have reasonable prospects of success
Fast track
£10,000 to £25,000
PI: more than £1,000
Tight time management of claims - must be heard within 30 weeks of allocation to track
Types of cases where the costs are fixed according to the amount the claimant recovers:
- Personal injury road traffic accident
- Employer’s liability
- Public liability fast track cases
Expert evidence is restricted
Joint experts are encouraged
Emphasis on written rather than oral evidence
Directions are standardised
Cost schedules are required
Level of costs recoverable are restricted
Multi-track
Claims more than £25,000 or complex cases where trial will last more than one day
Can be issued in High Court if value is more than £100,000
Court expects parties to discuss and agree to directions
Greater flexibility for judge to make decisions compared with small claims and fast track
Stays for ADR are encouraged
Flexibility for experts
Costs budgets must be filed before initial directions hearing - CCMC
Commercial court or technology and construction court assign a judge who deals with all CCMC and pre-trial reviews for consistency
Costs and case management conference (CCMC)
Recoverable costs must be proportional to amount in dispute and the parties’ approach to the claim must be reasonable
Case summaries and skeleton arguments may be required
Directions questionnaire
Parties must return in 28 days
Can’t agree extensions
Used for the purposes of allocating the claim to the relevant track and make relevant directions
Matters addressed:
- Stay for ADR
- Whether parties have complied with pre-action protocol
- Whether experts are required
- Names of witnesses and issues to which their evidence relates
- Estimate of length of trial
- Anticipated costs of proceedings
Case management directions (don’t need to memorise)
Small claims - standard directions:
- Documents to be exchanged 14 days before hearing
- Documents to be filed or brought to court
- Provisions for final hearing date
- Encouragement to agree claim
- Experts require express permission
Fast track - standard directions:
- Disclosure of required information in 4 weeks
- Exchange of witness statements in 10 weeks
- Exchange of expert reports within 14 weeks
- Pre-trial checklist to be sent at 20 weeks to be returned by 22 week
- Date of trial within 30 weeks
Parties can seek to vary any directions but must do so within 14 days of when court gave the directions
No standard directions for multi-track cases as they will vary depending on complexity of case
Case management conference (CMC)
(don’t need to memorise)
Court will:
- Review steps taken to progress claim
- Review compliance with directions already given
- Consider further directions
- Encourage agreement where possible
Multi-track specific:
- Whether there is a need to clarify the points at issue
- Whether cost management order is appropriate
- What should be the scope of disclosure and inspection
- Whether there should be a stay for ADR
- Provision for exchange of witness statements and expert evidence
- Whether a split trial is appropriate
- How soon the trial can take place and sets trial period
Split trial
Consider liability issue first before expenses are incurred on valuing the claim
Non-compliance with directions
If a party doesn’t comply with the courts direction the court may:
- Strike out the claim, defence or counter-claim (drastic remedy unless the non-defaulting party has applied for an unless order which is granted)
- Order costs
- Award indemnity costs
- Increase interest
- Order defaulting party to pay money into court
- Bar a party from relying on evidence
- Restrict the number of witnesses a party can call
- Disallow evidence
Sanctions are discretionary with judge