Surviving Covid-19: IE’s positive impact during Lockdown and beyond

Legal practitioners, just like their clients, have not been immune to the sudden, unexpected and serious challenges of the Covid-19 crisis. Whereas the Courts have stumbled and trials have been postponed, IE has continued to provide parties and their lawyers with efficient and just dispute resolution. Increasing numbers of practitioners are turning to IE in order to navigate a positive and practical way through this unprecedented time and beyond. Independent Evaluators, with judicial experience and subject matter expertise, provide parties with an excellent substitute for a litigated trial that has a proved track record for optimally resolving an increasing number of civil disputes across the UK.

Responding to the Lockdown decisively and successfully

Amidst all the upheaval for so many, our goal is clear: we continue to provide an effective alternative to litigation, putting the parties at the heart of the process and resolving their disputes in a timely manner so that they may focus in the numerous other challenges the Covid crisis throws at them. IE always seeks to ensure that disputes are being progressed towards resolution in the best possible way. And we mean exactly that: not just the best possible way despite the Lockdown, but literally in a way that ensures disputants’ perspectives are heard and their claims are evaluated with due rigour and respect.

Existing flexibility within our systems and processes meant we were able to adapt to the new situation smoothly and swiftly. We achieved this by switching to remote Evaluations across all areas of law as a safer alternative to in-person appointments. The bespoke nature of our service permits Evaluations in writing, via video-conference, or a hybrid combining all possibilities.

IE’s bespoke approach has proven to be effective and very popular. All Evaluations held during lockdown have achieved positive resolutions and avoided prolonged delays, arising from the backlog in the Court system. Disputants and their representatives agree that there is no need to return to the old ways, and that increased use of remote IE will be a positive that will be utilised even more in future.

Embracing change for good

The shift to remote Evaluations reflects an observable trend within the ADR world and the broader legal system: to embrace technology and use it to seek a more constructive way to handle civil claims. As we go forwards and adapt to ‘the new normal’, offering remote Evaluations ensures we protect the parties and their lawyers and also offers certainty that appointments won’t be derailed by unexpected events, such as local lockdowns.

IE’s holistic approach, trusted by claimants and defendants alike to resolve disputes quickly and fairly, provides practitioners with an attractive opportunity to achieve optimal solutions for their clients within weeks instead of years. There is no better time than the present to try something new for your outstanding claims. Whatever other challenges your clients may currently be facing, you can assist them to lay to rest this stressful, time-consuming and expensive element of their life reassured in the knowledge you are offering them an opportunity for timely recourse through a rigorous, impartial and highly effective dispute resolution mechanism.

Referring a case to IE

Referring a claim to IE is straightforward, all we require is:

  • Signed Terms of Service agreements;
  • Information Protocols completed by each party; and,
  • The Parties’ mutually agreed dates for the Evaluation appointment to take place.

We will put you in contact with your Evaluator promptly to allow for discussion of the key issues in dispute and to agree ‘directions’, and we support parties to prepare for the Evaluation fully thus providing the most likely conditions for reaching optimal resolution of the dispute.

Contact us to discuss suitability of your cases for referral to IE, even during ‘these unprecedented times’:

We look forward to working with you as we continue to change the legal landscape for good.