Litigation in Ontario makes no sense for less than $150,000, unless it is a simple collection matter, or other dispute involving $25,000 or less that can be taken to Small Claims Court. For all other disputes, the cost of legal counsel and the time spent to get a result will outweigh any rational benefit. Mediation and arbitration has been promoted by the legal fraternity, as many of my colleagues rushed to become qualified as mediators and arbitrators to cash in on “alternative dispute resolution”, aka “ADR”. ADR was hailed as the best new thing out there for people in disputes. It isn’t. It can be just as expensive and slow as going to Court, and no more predictable.
So, I was intrigued when I recently read in the Toronto Star about a new online mediation service called eQuibbly created by an ex-Toronto lawyer, Lance Soskin. I haven’t used this service yet, but I’m dying to do so – it looks like it might resolve the cost and timing issues to a large extent. You can settle via mediation, non-binding arbitration or binding arbitration. The platform is free, but you must pay for the mediator or arbitrators. Go to:
www.equibbly.com