A civil lawsuit over unpaid debts can take years to be brought to a close and the costs and fees incurred to get there usually outweigh the time and effort.

The result is that more often than not, debts are not pursued and are written off, leaving money on the table.  

Picture this. Your business is owed $10,000, you file a lawsuit and the other side undertakes a strategy of delay, unnecessary discovery, and other tactics.  

The more shenanigans you face, the more time your lawyer will need to respond, and we all know that more time for the lawyer means more fees and costs.   

You might end up paying out thousands of dollars in legal fees, court costs,  experts, and more.

If that is not enough to put you off, then factor in the time required for depositions, court appearances, and trial (and that’s just for you, not even for your lawyer!).

Hearings are often adjourned before they even start and you, your business, and the money owed to you end up on a never-ending conveyor belt that usually comes to an end after a significant loss of time and money. 

Many litigants find that by filing a civil lawsuit over unpaid debts, they spent more than they were owed and have little to show for their efforts.  

Why does it take so long?

The reasons why US Civil lawsuits take so long are many. The US law system is a complex and convoluted one, meaning that unless the matter can be heard in the small claims court, you are likely going to need an attorney.

First, you need to brief your attorney on who you want to sue and why you want to sue them, and that is going to cost you time and money.

Your attorney will then ask you to produce evidence to support your claim, which they will then build into a case against the person or business who owes you money. This will also cost you time and money.

Filing that case is also going to cost you legal and court fees. In most cases, it can take between three and six months to get a date for an initial court appearance, (which is procedural and does not resolve anything) and that was in pre-Covid times. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated matters, with the law courts grinding to a complete halt. It can now take up to a year to even get a court hearing and years after that to reach trial, with lots of hearings, motions, and discovery in-between.   

There is another quicker and more affordable way to recover debt through Online Dispute Resolution

man using a touchscreen to point at digital rendition of the scales of justice

What if there was a way to do it all in one fell swoop and not even have to worry about going to court or hiring an attorney? What if you did not need to file a civil lawsuit over unpaid debts? It may sound too good to be true, but there is another way. The Brief way.

In six easy steps, Brief can help you supplant the courts and obtain an Award which can be turned into an enforceable judgment

Brief’s online dispute resolution platform typically costs 70 percent less than a lawsuit filed in a civil court and is brought to resolution 80 percent quicker. 

We believe that businesses that are owed money should not have to leave dollars on the table because the system and costs make the process too hard. 

With Brief, you can file your initial claim and the platform will give you a flat, up-front fee. 

If your claim is simple and you have good evidence to document it, your fee will be less. It is that simple.

All you need to do is file your claim through the Brief portal. The defendant will be invited to respond in kind and the resolution phase will commence. 

An E-judge will then be assigned to the claim on the basis of jurisdiction and subject matter. 

Once the E-judge reviews the evidence, they will move on to issue an award, which can be filed with the court for an enforceable Judgment issued.

The COVID pandemic has made businesses around the country turn to alternative digital solutions to resolve pain points. 

Brief’s platform is a perfect fit for businesses that are owed money.

Think of the platform as an online version of a traditional courthouse. The only differences are that we are (much) more affordable, more efficient, and hassle-free.

Brief is similar to a traditional law court in terms of litigation process and our impartial and vetted judges can issue a binding award that can be reduced to an enforceable judgment.

Online Dispute Resolution is the future of debt recovery. Bypass the cluttered and expensive law court system and get access to money that is rightfully yours, swiftly and affordably. 

Is my business a good fit?

Brief is a good fit for any business which has unclaimed debts or obligations.   

Our satisfied clients include electronic commerce sites, factors, banks, MCA, and other lenders. 

Brief also handles quiet title, warranty claims and other declaratory relief actions as well as other types of legal disputes.   

Our screened network of E-judges spreads across all 50 states and each case is matched to jurisdiction and subject matter expertise of the E-judge.

You can request a demo from our homepage or call one of our arbitration consultants today on tel: +12134443794. Alternatively, drop us an email at [email protected] to book an obligation-free consultation.


Brief is a market-leading online arbitration platform in the United States. Our 100 percent online alternative dispute resolution platform helps businesses protect their contracts and agreements through online arbitration. Follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook for updates and news about online arbitration and more.

*Brief cannot and will not give legal advice on any matters, financial or not.

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