Kinds Of Disputes for Arbitration - ADR Institute of British Columbia

Kinds Of Disputes

Arbitration and mediation is available to individuals, businesses and institutions, and almost any type of dispute can be resolved successfully through ADR.

Some of the most frequent disputes relate to:

Contracts, leases, partnerships, and payment for goods and services
Commercial agreements of all kinds
ICBC material damage disputes (View Document Below)
Strata Property Act disputes
Construction
Estates
Family assets, custody and divorce

In addition, the Institute can help organizations to establish a dispute-resolution strategy for contracts or projects, assist at Extraordinary or Annual General Meetings, and help design an ADR system to fit any particular circumstances.

ICBC TOTAL LOSS ARBITRATON RULES – version July 2023 (PDF)

Costs of Arbitration/Mediation

The referral/appontment fee varies depending on the type of proceeding.

An Initial Fee is due when filing the Request for Referral/Appointment (which is non-refundable) payable to ADRBC. If the value of the dispute is:

Arbitration $0.00 to $10,000.00, the Initial Filing fee is $350.00 plus GST
$10,001.00 to $75,000.00, the Initial Filing fee is $600.00 plus GST
$75,001.00 to $150,000.00, the Initial Filing fee is $1,000.00 plus GST
$150,001.00 to $500,000.00, the Initial Filing fee is $2,000.00 plus GST
$500,001.00 to $5,000,000.00, the Initial Filing fee is $4,000.00 plus GST
$5,000,001.00 and over, the Initial Filing fee is $5000.00 plus GST

To facilitate Request Form submissions, kindly send them via email to rosters@adrbc.com
Payments can be made by cheque, credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard), and e-transfers to rosters@adrbc.com. Should you have any inquiries about the e-transfer payment process, please contact your bank.

ADRIC Arbitration Rules

Request form for Referral/Appointment (PDF)

Individual practitioners, not the Institute, set their own fees for mediation or arbitration (generally an hourly rate) based on their experience, skill and profession, and on the matters in dispute. The parties should discuss these fees with the practitioner before proceeding with the process. The exception to this rule is when the arbitrator or mediator has been accepted for a specific program and has agreed to a set fee, such as the Better Business Bureau, the Surrey Chamber of Commerce and ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) Coverage Disputes.

What level of costs can a party to an arbitration expect to pay?

Arbitrators usually charge a fee based on an hourly or daily rate. This can vary considerably among arbitrators. The oral hearing is the biggest cost item. The cost of the arbitration will depend on its length and complexity, and whether an oral hearing is required. Other variable cost factors include counsel fees, travel costs, document reproduction, appointment fees, hearing room rental, etc. There are ways of controlling these costs, and the arbitrator should be able to give the parties advice in that regard. Some arbitrations are conducted for a fixed fee as part of a program, such as the ICBC Coverage Dispute arbitration program (a documents-only process; no oral hearing). In British Columbia, the arbitrator’s fee is subject to review by a court official.