How to use this site
The ADRnow website is run by the Advice services Alliance (ASA), the umbrella group for the not-for-profit advice sector in the UK. You can find out more about us in the About ASA section of this site.
We run ADRnow in order to give an independent overview of Alternative Dispute Resolution in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This ADRnow site contains a Home page and four main menus. There is also a search box on every page: type in any word or phrase, and the search engine will bring up the pages most likely to give you the information you want.
The four main menus can be found on left of each page on the site. When you click on any of the menu headings, a list of options will appear on the right of the page. The four main menus are:
Types of ADR
The Types of ADR menu describes the main kinds of ADR available, including:
Adjudication
Arbitration
Conciliation
Mediation
Ombudsmen
The mediation section also has separate pages for:
Civil and commercial disputes
Community mediation
County Court mediation
Small claims mediation
Family Mediation
Each of these pages also links to profiles of the key national schemes providing this type of ADR, with a link to the scheme’s own website. We have also included some profiles of local schemes which might be of interest, and could provide useful models for new schemes in other areas. You can also find a page on Choosing a mediation provider.
Types of problem
The Types of Problem menu provides a list of some common legal problems, with an overview of the ADR options available in each type of dispute. The problems covered are:
Benefits
Consumer Affairs
Education and Training
Employment
Families
Government
Health and Social Care
Housing and Homelessness
Law and Rights
Money and Tax
Where specific ADR schemes are mentioned, there will be a link to the site page explaining the scheme in more detail.
Points to consider
The Points to consider menu looks at the issues which need to be thought about when deciding how best to attempt to resolve a particular problem. It includes pages on:
Pros and Cons of ADR - this page looks at the factors to consider when deciding whether or not to try an ADR option to resolve a dispute.
ADR and the courts - this page gives an outline of the ADR issues you need to bear in mind when considering using the courts to resolve a dispute. It includes legal aid and the civil procedure rules.
Court cases - this gives an summary of the most significant case law regarding ADR and mediation.
ADR Research - this provides a summary of the most important research findings in mediation and ADR in the UK since the Access to Justice Act in 1999.
Tips for mediation - this provides a checklist of things to consider when preparing for mediation in a dispute.
What is a good mediation? – this gives a summary of the factors which make for a ‘good’ mediation. It is based on research carried out over the last ten years by Professor Dame Hazel Genn.
Directory
This is an ADR Directory of the ADR providers mentioned on this site. Each entry contains a link to the scheme's own website, where you can find more detailed information. It also provides links to the websites of other useful organisations such as advice providers and regulators. There is a directory search box so that you can search either for the name of an organisation, or for a key search term. For information on the selection of mediation providers in this directory, see Choosing a mediation provider.
FAQ
The Frequently Asked Questions page gives a sample of some of the email questions we have receieved about the way ADR may or may not help in various situations, along with our responses. It covers common topics such as neighbour disputes, separating families, and what to do if someone owes you money.
December 2009
