Procedure & Fees

A party may commence arbitration or mediation, or request Expert Determination, by submitting the appropriate online application through the Platform and paying the applicable filing or administration fee.

The application shall include:
• Identification of the parties;
• A summary of the dispute;
• The relevant contract or legal relationship;
• The relief sought;
• Supporting documents available at the time of filing.
For Expert Determination, the request must also state the defined technical or specialist question, required expertise and intended binding or non-binding effect.

The Administrator shall conduct a preliminary review to determine whether:
• the submission is complete;
• the required fee has been paid;
• an arbitration, mediation or Expert Determination agreement appears to exist, or respondent consent must be requested.

This review does not constitute a determination of jurisdiction or merits.

Upon acceptance of the filing, the Platform shall notify the Respondent and provide access to the case dashboard.

The Respondent shall generally have seven (7) days to submit a Response to Notice. A unilateral Expert Determination request does not proceed without an existing agreement or recorded respondent consent.

Depending on the applicable process:

Arbitration:
The dispute may be determined by:
• a Sole Arbitrator; or
• a Three-Member Tribunal.

Mediation:
The dispute shall be facilitated by a Mediator selected in accordance with the Parties’ agreement or the Platform's appointment process.

Expert Determination:
A suitably qualified independent Expert shall be selected for the defined question. Arbitrators, Mediators and Experts complete the same A-Resolve Declaration of Independence and Conflicts before substantive participation.

Proceedings are primarily conducted online through the Platform.

Case management tools include:
• secure document exchange;
• written submissions;
• procedural directions;
• scheduling tools;
• virtual hearings or meetings where required.
Expert Determination also uses agreed Terms of Reference recording the question, mandate, materials, legal effect, timetable, fees and any inspection, testing or code-review protocol.

Unless the Parties agree otherwise, disputes submitted under the expedited procedure shall normally be resolved within six (6) weeks from the constitution of the Tribunal.

The Tribunal may extend this period according to Article 17 of the Arbitration Rules.

Expert Determination will ordinarily target a Determination within twenty-one (21) to thirty (30) days after the Terms of Reference become effective. The timetable may be adjusted for complexity, fairness, inspection, testing, code review or missing information.

Subject to Article 14 of the Arbitration Rules, The Tribunal may determine that:
• the dispute can be decided on documents only;
• a virtual hearing is required;
• an in-person hearing is appropriate in exceptional circumstances.

In Expert Determination, the Expert may hold a technical meeting or conduct an agreed inspection, test, demonstration or code review within the Terms of Reference. Each party must have a reasonable opportunity to address material relied upon.

Arbitration: The Tribunal shall issue a reasoned written award subject to Article 19 of the Arbitration Rules.

Mediation: If settlement is reached, the parties may request a written settlement agreement. Where applicable, the settlement may be documented in a form intended to facilitate enforcement under the Singapore Convention on Mediation.

Expert Determination: The Expert issues a written, reasoned Determination within the agreed mandate. It is not an arbitral award. Its binding or non-binding effect is the effect expressly selected by the parties, subject to mandatory law.

The applicable filing or administration fee is payable upon submission and covers the overall procedural handling of the matter by the Platform. Arbitration fees follow the percentage schedule below. Mediation and Expert Determination use the fixed administration fees stated in their respective sections. This includes:

1.1. Case management services: All administrative steps required for the progression of the dispute, including compliance and identity verification checks, coordination of the appointment of the arbitrator, procedural oversight, and ongoing administrative support.

1.2. Platform access: Full use of the digital dispute resolution environment for the entire duration of the proceedings.

A non-refundable filing fee is payable upon commencement.

Where no specific monetary relief is requested, the claim shall be deemed to have a reference value of USD 250,000 (4%) solely for the purpose of calculating applicable fees.

Remuneration and reasonable expenses of the appointed arbitrator for handling the dispute. Arbitrators are compensated on a case-basis rather than hourly billing.

3.1. Sole Arbitrator:
Starting from: USD 2,000 – USD 10,000 (at Platform discretion) depending on:
• complexity;
• amount in dispute;
• procedural requirements.

3.2. Three-Member Tribunal:
Each individual Arbitrator shall be compensated equally based on Section 3.1 above.

A USD 500 Filing Fee, plus Mediator compensation of USD 1,500 (equally payable by both parties).

Platform administration fee: USD 500, fixed and generally non-refundable once administration begins.

Expert remuneration: USD 1,000 to USD 10,000 as a case-based fee determined by complexity, volume, required specialist discipline, timetable and whether inspection, testing or code review is required.

Additional costs: Reasonable external expenses and exceptional administrative services are charged separately only after their basis and estimate have been disclosed and approved, unless already authorised in the Terms of Reference. No success fee or percentage of the outcome is payable to the Expert.

Allocation: Unless the parties agree otherwise, deposits are requested equally from the parties. The Terms of Reference may record a different interim allocation without deciding ultimate liability for costs.

Administrative fees may apply for:
• emergency applications;
• expedited appointments;
• hearing arrangements;
• external specialist appointments within arbitration;
• translation services.

Allocation of Costs: The Tribunal may allocate costs taking into account:
• outcome of the dispute;
• conduct of the parties;
• reasonableness of positions;
• procedural efficiency.

Taxes: All fees may be subject to applicable indirect taxes, including VAT or equivalent charges, depending on jurisdiction and prevailing legal requirements.

Payment Instructions: Payments shall be made via bank transfer to the designated account stated in the case-specific instruction sent by email and recorded in the case dashboard. A party uploads its transfer evidence through the dashboard. The payment ledger changes only after an administrator verifies receipt of funds. The Platform does not presently operate a card-payment gateway. Any charges imposed by financial institutions in connection with the transfer shall be borne solely by the paying party.

Refund Policy: The Filing Fee is generally non-refundable. A refund will only be issued where the platform declines to accept the claim. In such cases, the amount refunded will be reduced by an administrative processing charge of USD 250 (plus any applicable taxes).

Invoicing: Invoices are issued electronically upon request and made available through the platform or by email in digital format.

A fixed Challenge Fee of USD 2,000 applies where a party initiates a formal challenge to an Arbitrator, Mediator or Expert.

A Neutral Challenge means a written application seeking removal, replacement or disqualification on grounds including lack of independence, lack of impartiality, conflict of interest, incapacity or another circumstance giving rise to justifiable doubts regarding the Neutral's suitability to act. The same electronic disclosure and challenge framework applies to all three neutral roles.