Key takeaways
CASE and the Law Society will soon be offering a new dispute resolution option to consumers who are unable to resolve their disputes with businesses through mediation. Under this new option, consumers will receive a non-binding neutral evaluation. Parties may accept the neutral evaluator's assessment and sign a settlement agreement.
Businesses may consider utilizing this new dispute resolution option to resolve disputes with consumers in a cost-effective manner.
In more detail
The CASE Mediation Centre offers mediation services and processes for consumer-business disputes. 80% of cases handled by the CASE Mediation Centre are resolved with a mutual settlement agreement.
Traditionally, if mediation is unsuccessful, consumers would ordinarily have to resort to taking legal action if they wish to pursue the case further. This collaboration between CASE and the Law Society aims to increase the number of alternative dispute resolution options available to consumers should mediation be unsuccessful.
Through this new dispute resolution route, consumers can opt for a non-binding neutral evaluation of their dispute to obtain an independent assessment of their case. A Law Society-appointed lawyer will act as an independent third-party neutral to assess the dispute.
Neutral evaluation will also be offered for disputes of contracts that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunals. This includes claims with a total value exceeding SGD 20,000 (or SGD 30,000 if both parties agree) as well as claims that are filed more than two years after the event that created the cause of action.
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