Arbitration

A mandatory arbitration hearing is a legal proceeding for certain types of civil cases where the plaintiff is asking for money damages only. This form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) helps parties resolve their disputes more quickly and economically then going to a formal trial with a judge or jury. 

In Cook County, depending on which program your case is assigned to, the mandatory arbitration hearing will be held before either a panel of three Illinois-licensed attorneys or a single Illinois-licensed attorney — called "arbitrator(s)" — who have experience and expertise with civil cases and have taken a training program certified by the court. The hearing is conducted like a trial where the parties may be represented by an attorney, or they may represent themselves. The arbitrator or the arbitration panel will act in place of a judge and reach a decision, called an award, at the conclusion of the hearing. Parties who participate in good faith in the arbitration process can decide if they agree with the award or not. If one of the parties disagrees with the decision, that party may file a rejection of the award with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the court will then assign the case to a trial room and the dispute will be heard in court before a judge and jury.