Direction Solutions: What Now?

Controlled Resolution Service

1. Within seven days you will receive:

• the name and details of the Solicitor allocated to your case
• an Agreement for you to read and complete, sign and return within a further seven days. It will set out the main details of the dispute resolution procedure which the allocated Solicitor will adapt to suit your case. You will need to complete the Agreement with some information about the dispute. By signing the agreement you will confirm that you will comply with the requirements of the procedure, and will be bound by the result.

2. Within seven days of both parties returning their signed Agreements, the Solicitor will:

• specify the Direct Solutions fee, the amount of which will be shared equally between the parties, and will be invoiced to them. The invoice will be payable within seven days
• set out a timetable of steps for the parties and the Solicitor to take, culminating in a meeting between the parties and the Solicitor on a specific date.

3. The parties and the Solicitor will then deal in accordance with the timetable, and the final meeting will take place. At the end of the meeting the Solicitor may confirm the decision how the dispute is to be resolved; in any event, within seven days of the meeting the Solicitor will send to the parties a written decision, giving reasons. The decision will set out what the parties must do to comply with it, and any appropriate deadline.

4. The Direct Solutions benefits of low cost, speed and certainty require the parties to comply with all procedural requirements within the time limit specified for them. In some circumstances a party who fails to comply but who has a valid reason for not doing so may be given a short extra period to comply; but no party will be offered a third chance. A party who defaults twice may not be allowed further time and in these circumstances the Solicitor may either proceed in the absence of whatever that party has failed to provide, or otherwise issue a final decision on the basis of that party’s default.

Conciliation Service

1. Within seven days you will receive:

• the name and details of the Solicitor allocated to your case
• an Agreement for you to read, sign and return within a further seven days. It will set out the main details of the dispute resolution procedure which the allocated Solicitor will adapt to suit your case. You will need to complete the Agreement with some information about the dispute. By signing the agreement you will confirm that you have a real wish to see the dispute resolved, that you will comply with the requirements of the procedure, that everything said and done within it will remain confidential and will not be used in any subsequent dispute resolution procedure if for any reason Direct Solutions’ Conciliation Service is unable to resolve the dispute.

2. Within seven days of both parties returning their signed Agreements, the Solicitor will:

• specify the Direct Solutions fee, the amount of which will be shared equally between the parties, and will be invoiced to them. The invoice will be payable within seven days
• set out a timetable of steps for the parties and the Solicitor to take, culminating in a conciliation session involving the parties and the Solicitor on a specific date.

3. The parties and the Solicitor will then deal in accordance with the timetable, and the conciliation session will take place. If the session has resulted in agreement to resolve all or part of the dispute, the Solicitor will prepare a legally-binding written Agreement setting out the agreed terms, which the parties will sign before leaving. The Agreement will set out what the parties must do to implement what they have agreed, and any appropriate deadline.

4. If the session has not been able to resolve all or any of the issues in the dispute, then the Solicitor may suggest one or more of various further steps which the Solicitor might take, if he/she feels that any such step might help the parties to resolve outstanding matters later by other means; and the Solicitor will take those steps if, but only if, both parties agree.