1. How does House Court ensure that Arbitration proceedings conclude within 2 months?

Ans: When you submit a dispute to us, we prepare a brief and determine whether it can be resolved within the time frame. If, for reasons such as monetary value or complexity, we believe it is unlikely that your dispute can be resolved using the Platform’s services, we will tell you upfront. Furthermore, to ensure accountability, all arbitration sessions are conducted using our meeting rooms, and fees are released from escrow only after the proceedings are completed.

2. How do people approach the Platform to resolve their disputes?

Ans: People approach the Platform in two ways;

• Independently: Anyone can approach the Platform and register their dispute. If the dispute is capable of being settled using the Platform’s services, you will be given access to our panel of lawyers, and can engage any one of them to represent you.
• Referrals from panel lawyers: Our panel lawyers can offer the House Court Platform to their existing or prospective clients, if they wish to do so. If you have been referred to House Court by one of our empaneled lawyers, please make sure to enter your lawyer’s panel ID while registering the dispute.

3. How does empanelment on House Court help lawyers?

Ans: Being empaneled on House Court allows lawyers to easily offer Online Dispute Resolution as a solution to their clients’ disputes. Senior judges and lawyers are united and vocal about the need for technology-enabled dispute resolution. Lawyers who use Online Dispute Resolution to resolve their clients’ disputes will have far more work, higher incomes and better reputations than their counterparts.

Click Here to know know more about the benefits of being a House Court empaneled lawyer.

4. I am already empaneled on House Court. Can I offer this solution to my clients?

Ans: Yes. You are welcome to inform your clients about the Platform and it’s services. Please make sure that they mention your Lawyer ID when registering their dispute, so that we know the customer is your client. In this case, we will not match the customer with other lawyers. However, fee payment method and all other terms of use will remain unchanged. We also regularly provide all our empaneled lawyers with customised, powerful, material to help them introduce Online Dispute Resolution and it’s benefits to their clients. We do this free of cost, so that you can use the Platform to grow your practice and enhance your reputation.

5. Why does my lawyer, and not the Platform, send a notice to the Defendant?

Ans: If the Platform sends a notice to the Defendant, it can only inform the Defendant that you have registered the dispute and enquire whether the Defendant is agreeable to resolve the dispute using the Platform’s services. If the Defendant does not agree to resolving the dispute using the Platform, you will need to send another notice before you can file a case in court. However, because the lawyer is sending a notice to the Defendant, even if the Defendant does not agree to resolving the dispute using the Platform, you can use the same notice to file a case in Court without having to send another notice to the Defendant.

6. Why doesn’t the Platform assign an arbitrator to my case, instead of the Parties having to choose one?

Ans: We allow the Claimant and Defendant to choose their arbitrator for two reasons. First, to ensure that the Parties are comfortable with their arbitrator. Second, to ensure that decisions by our arbitrators are not appealed in court by parties on the ground that they did not agree to the appointment of a particular arbitrator.

7. How is a judgment obtained using the Platform different from a Court judgment? 

Ans: House Court’s Platform facilitates arbitration. Arbitration is a consensual dispute resolution process, where the proceedings begin with the appointment of an arbitrator and end with the passing of an arbitral award. An arbitral award has the same legal value and enforceability as a judgement of a civil court, and can be enforced in the same manner as a judgment of a civil court.