So you’ve decided that arbitration is preferable to traditional court litigation. It’s time to spell that out in your contract. That means crafting an effective clause that will maximize the advantages of arbitration (see Article 1) while minimizing the risks and disadvantages (see Article 2).

Whether you are negotiating a complex deal with another sophisticated party, or creating terms and conditions applicable to all your customers, here are seven tips to craft an effective arbitration clause.

1. Make it Mandatory: Make it clear that arbitration is not optional. Avoid language like “the parties may submit their dispute to arbitration.”
2. Define the Scope: If you are like most parties, you want the arbitration clause to have the broadest scope possible. Use simple, uncluttered language like “any dispute related to this Agreement.” But if you think a certain matter should be excluded, be careful. A carve out can increase the likelihood that you may later find yourself fighting separate battles involving overlapping issues, which can then lead to inconsistent results. As a corollary, also consider whether you want a judge or the arbitrator to decide if a certain dispute is covered by the arbitration clause.
3. Choose Your Organization And Rules: Effective arbitration clauses usually specify both the organization administering the arbitration and the procedural rules applicable to it. For example, JAMS and AAA are perhaps the two best known and widely used organizations. Both of those organizations offer a variety of procedural rules the parties can elect based upon their circumstances. For example, if you are likely to encounter small-dollar disputes with individual customers, you would be wise to explicitly reference one of the sets of streamlined rules intended for those situations. Otherwise, you might consider electing one of the many sets of rules applicable to certain industries, such as construction, telecommunications, or real estate.
4. Location: If you anticipate that your dispute will require a live hearing before the arbitrator, clearly state where you want that hearing to be held.
5. Arbitrator Selection and Fees: If not already determined by the rules you elect, make sure the arbitration clause addresses the following questions: (a) will there be one arbitrator or a panel of three? (b) how is the arbitrator selected? and (c) who is responsible for paying the arbitrator’s fees?
6. Consider Express Time Limits: Specifying clear time limits for the arbitration can avoid unnecessary delays. For example, if you want to require a mandatory period of negotiation before either side can initiate arbitration, then limit that period to a certain number of days. You might also consider specifying certain time limits applicable to the arbitration itself so that the proceeding stays on course toward a speedy resolution.
7. Class Arbitration Waiver: If your arbitration clause is part of a standard set of terms and conditions equally applicable to numerous transactions and parties, then you should heavily consider including a class arbitration waiver. Essentially, this language states that the other party (typically an individual consumer) waives any right to pursue arbitration involving any class action claim. Similarly, this language should also state that the arbitrator has no authority to conduct any type of class or other collective proceeding. Why is a class waiver important? Because for all its benefits, arbitration is often not the best forum to handle the complex mechanisms and issues of a class action. In addition, class actions typically expose the defendant to enormous financial and reputational risk. When the stakes are that high, courts tend to be the best forums to resolve a dispute. Unlike arbitration, courts usually offer enhanced procedural safeguards, as well as a far more robust appeals process for correcting error.