The arbitration alternative for dispute resolution can take almost as many forms as the parties have the imagination and willingness to reach agreement.  The objective should always be to find a fair resolution with an efficient and fair process tailored to the situation that produces results the parties prefer to the more traditional courtroom trial option. 

The process, reached by agreement before or after the dispute has arisen, often a part of a business contract that brought the parties together in the first place, has many potential variables - one arbitrator, or three, or whatever number; applicability or not of particular laws, conventions, customs, or practices; a proceeding administered or not by established bodies with experience to provide such services; limited or otherwise defined scope and nature of discovery; expedited or otherwise precisely defined timelines for disposition; prescribed qualifications for the decision-makers; provisions to ensure collectibility when otherwise that may be difficult; and on and on - an almost unlimited array of personal choices for the parties to make to fashion their dispute resolution process.

The flexibility of the process, the right to reach agreements to change the process as the parties may dictate, the mechanisms for speed, efficiency and economy make this arena a growing and viable alternative to the courtroom.