Online Dispute Resolution: Alternative Dispute Resolution in the New Digital Era

When pending cases were piling up a mile high and courts across the world were overwhelmed and overburdened with disputes, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) came into the spotlight, armed with ease, convenience and speed. But since the e-commerce sphere began dominating the majority of human interaction, ADR has quite simply donned on an ‘Online’ cloak.

In today’s post-pandemic age, this online version of ADR, or Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for those in the know, has emerged as the better, more practical option to dispute resolution – branching beyond the umbrella of banking, employment or real estate, and playing a crucial role within the legal system.

What exactly is Online Dispute Resolution?

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) uses the different aspects of technology to negotiate, mediate or arbitrate disputes between parties. The use of innovative technologies to resolve disputes online has augmented the traditional practices of ADR, earning ODR the moniker e-ADR. In today’s tech-driven world, where every day, we see technology driving the forces of change and innovation, it is all but natural that ODR occupies a pedestal of its own when it comes to actual practice. Not only is it cheaper, more transparent and less time consuming, time and again, it has proven itself to be the more convenient alternative to traditional litigation proceedings.

Scope of Online Dispute Resolution

ODR is now considered to be an effective tool when it comes to resolving a range of disputes that might have risen either online or offline – from marital separation and other commercial disputes to larger justice conflicts. It has been observed that ODR is particularly useful in B2C disputes in the e-commerce spectrum that is widely prevalent today. This dependency could be attributed to the convenience that uses the same Internet as the medium for resolution between the two parties who are often distant geographically.

Online Dispute Resolution Now, and for the Future

ODR has seen a boom in recent years with consumers being increasingly dependent on e-commerce. The COVID-19 pandemic has also been another factor pushing people to Online Dispute Resolutions over gatherings at the court. Keeping with the trends of the time, independent and authorised arbitration agencies across the world are now relying heavily on the promised scope of ODR; and with the assistance of experts like those at BIGFORMULA Solutions, they are constantly expanding ODR’s reach and purpose. For example, BIGFORMULA’s more advanced versions of ODR solutions encompass elaborate case filing, case management and membership management systems, in-built verification and communication capabilities, higher security and evolved document signing and authentication processes – all in all, more holistic environments that make for hassle-free, transparent and efficient dispute resolution and arbitration experiences.

With daily advances, the scope of ODR is forever evolving and developing. In the end, its true potential can only be unravelled with time, and perhaps BIGFORMULA will be the one spearheading it – online.