---
title: "Brief – Financial Dispute Resolution"
id: "72"
type: "page"
slug: "home"
published_at: "2021-06-04T16:04:05+00:00"
modified_at: "2023-06-27T19:36:50+00:00"
url: "https://www.thinkbrief.com/"
markdown_url: "https://www.thinkbrief.com/index.md"
excerpt: "We help businesses resolve disputes Business disputes happen, resolving them quickly and fairly is what matters. Learn More Introducing Brief! The financial dispute & recovery platform We’re revolutionizing financial resolution. Our online settlement and adjudication platform gives you legally binding..."
---

Online Arbitration for Businesses# Your contract was breached. You shouldn't need a lawyer to get paid.

Brief resolves monetary disputes in ~45 days, entirely online, at a fraction of what AAA or JAMS charges. Legally binding awards. No courtrooms. No hourly attorney bills.

[Request a Demo →](https://www.thinkbrief.com/#request-demo)
[Get a Free Arbitration Clause](https://www.thinkbrief.com/arbitration-clauses/)

No upfront fees. Claims up to $500K. Trusted by Upwork.

Dispute Resolution Timeline

Brief45 days

AAA6–18 months

Courts12–36 months

Cost to Resolve a $50K Dispute

Brief~$2,500

AAA$15,000–$40,000

Courts$20,000–$60,000+

Based on publicly available fee schedules and average U.S. civil litigation costs.

⚖️ Legally Binding Awards

🏛️ Court-Enforceable

👨‍⚖️ Bar-Recognized E-Judges

📋 Document-Only Process

💰 No Upfront Fees

The Alternative is Broken## AAA and JAMS were built for lawyers. Not for you.

Traditional arbitration was designed for complex litigation between large corporations with legal teams. When your $30K invoice goes unpaid or your borrower defaults on a $75K note, you face a brutal choice: spend $15,000 in legal fees to recover the money, or write it off.

Neither is acceptable. Both are avoidable.

What a $50K dispute costs with traditional arbitration

AAA Filing Fee$2,000+

Arbitrator (hourly)$8,000+

Admin Fee (13%)$1,300+

Attorney Fees$10,000+

TOTAL$21,000+

✓ Brief resolves the same dispute for ~$2,500 in 45 days

Timeline: 6–18 months

How It Works## From breach to binding award in three steps.

1

### Add the Clause

Add Brief's dispute resolution clause to your contracts. It's free, takes five minutes, and covers every contract you issue from that point forward.

[→ Get the free clause](https://www.thinkbrief.com/arbitration-clauses/)

2

### File a Claim

When a breach occurs, file your claim online. Upload your contract, invoices, and evidence. The opposing party gets notified and has an opportunity to respond.

3

### Get Your Award

A bar-recognized E-Judge reviews the submissions and issues a binding decision, typically within 45 days. The award is legally enforceable in any U.S. court.

[Request Demo](https://www.thinkbrief.com/#request-demo)

Trusted By## The platforms that can't afford dispute chaos already use Brief.

Upwork"Brief powers Upwork's global dispute resolution for fixed-price contracts, handling disputes for millions of freelancers and clients worldwide."

Industry: Marketplace / Gig Economy | Use Case: Platform-level dispute resolution at scale

Ironwood Finance"Ironwood Finance uses Brief to resolve MCA and factoring defaults, converting disputes into binding awards that are domesticated into enforceable judgments."

Industry: Alternative Finance / MCA | Use Case: Portfolio-wide default recovery

Brief works across financial services, lending, marketplaces, and any business where contracts get breached.

[See Full Comparison →](https://www.thinkbrief.com/why-brief/)

Why Brief Wins## Stop comparing prices. Compare outcomes.

|  | Brief | AAA | JAMS | Courts |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Average Resolution | 45 days | 6–18 months | 6–18 months | 1–3 years |
| Filing Fee ($50K claim) | ~$500 | $2,000+ | $2,000+ | $400+ (+ attorney) |
| Arbitrator / Judge Fee | Included | $300–600/hr | $500–1,000/hr | N/A |
| Attorney Required? | No | Recommended | Recommended | Typically yes |
| Hearings Required? | Never | Usually | Usually | Always |
| 100% Online? | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Award Enforceable? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Claims Up to $500K? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |

Brief vs AAABrief vs JAMSBrief vs Courts

#### Brief

✓ 45-day resolution

✓ ~$500 filing fee

✓ No attorney required

✓ 100% online

✓ No hearings

#### AAA

✕ 6–18 months

✕ $2,000+ filing fee

✕ Attorney recommended

✕ In-person hearings

✕ $300–600/hr arbitrator

#### Brief

✓ 45-day resolution

✓ ~$500 filing fee

✓ No attorney required

✓ 100% online

✓ No hearings

#### JAMS

✕ 6–18 months

✕ $2,000+ filing fee

✕ Attorney recommended

✕ In-person hearings

✕ $500–1,000/hr arbitrator

#### Brief

✓ 45-day resolution

✓ ~$500 filing fee

✓ No attorney required

✓ 100% online, no court dates

✓ Binding award

#### Courts

✕ 1–3 years

✕ $400+ (plus attorney)

✕ Attorney typically required

✕ In-person, always

✕ Unpredictable timeline

Fees based on publicly available AAA/JAMS schedules and average U.S. civil litigation costs.

[See Full Comparison →](https://www.thinkbrief.com/why-brief/)

Built for Your Industry## Brief works where contract disputes are a cost of doing business.

[🧾FactoringRecover recourse claims and disputed invoices in weeks, not years. → Factoring companies](https://www.thinkbrief.com/factoring/)
[💸Merchant Cash AdvanceStop writing off defaults. Start recovering them. → MCA providers](https://www.thinkbrief.com/mca/)
[🏦Alternative LendingOne clause. Every product type. Every dispute resolved. → Alternative lenders](https://www.thinkbrief.com/lending/)
[⚡B2B Buy Now Pay LaterResolution as fast as your checkout. → B2B BNPL platforms](https://www.thinkbrief.com/bnpl/)
[🌐MarketplacesTrusted by Upwork. Built for platform scale. → Marketplace operators](https://www.thinkbrief.com/marketplaces/)
🔗### All Industries

Any business with contracts. Any monetary dispute.

[→ See all use cases](https://www.thinkbrief.com/#request-demo)

The Brief Difference## Built for businesses, not law firms.

📄### Document-Only. No Hearings.

Both parties submit evidence on their own schedule. No video calls to coordinate. No travel. No prep time. No arbitrator clock running at $400/hour while your counsel argues procedural motions.

$0

Hearing room costs  
with Brief

$2,000+

Typical AAA/JAMS  
hearing facility cost

Bar-recognized attorneys and retired judges assigned by jurisdiction and subject-matter expertise.

Same legal weight as traditional arbitration awards.

Court-enforceable in any U.S. jurisdiction.

⚖️### E-Judges With Real Authority

Brief's E-Judges are bar-recognized attorneys and retired judges, assigned by jurisdiction and subject-matter expertise. Their decisions carry the same legal weight as traditional arbitration awards.

🗺️### Enforceable Anywhere in the U.S.

A Brief award is a legally binding decision you can domesticate and enforce in any U.S. court. Ironwood Finance uses Brief awards as the foundation for collection actions.

🧾### Transparent, Predictable Costs

No hourly billing surprises. Brief's fees are based on claim size, disclosed upfront, and can be recovered as part of the award. You know what you're paying before you file.

## You have $50K sitting in a disputed invoice right now.

Stop deciding between writing it off and spending $15K in legal fees. Brief gives you a third option.

[Request a Demo →](https://www.thinkbrief.com/#request-demo)
[Get a Free Arbitration Clause](https://www.thinkbrief.com/arbitration-clauses/)

Takes 15 minutes. No commitment. See exactly how Brief works for your business.

~45 daysAverage resolution time

70–90%Less than traditional arbitration

$500KMaximum claim size

## Common questions.

Is a Brief award legally binding? Yes. Brief's arbitration process produces binding awards under the Federal Arbitration Act. Awards are court-enforceable and treated the same as traditional arbitration decisions.

Do I need an attorney to use Brief? No. Brief is designed to be used by business owners and operations teams directly. You can choose to involve legal counsel, but it's not required.

What types of disputes does Brief handle? Brief handles monetary and contractual disputes, including invoice disputes, loan defaults, breach of contract, and similar business claims. Brief does not handle employment claims, personal injury, or fraud.

How much does Brief cost? Pricing is based on claim size, not hourly rates. There are no upfront fees to get started. Brief's full fee schedule is available on the pricing page.

What if the other party ignores the arbitration process? Brief's process has defined response windows. If a party fails to participate, the E-Judge may proceed on the evidence submitted and issue a default award.

Does the other party have to agree to use Brief? Yes, in most cases. Brief works best when the arbitration clause is in the contract before a dispute arises. That's why we recommend adding the clause now, before you need it.