Cases are typically filed pursuant to procedures specified in individually negotiated contracts, company handbooks and dispute resolution procedures, or the rules of an administering agency, such as the American Arbitration Association.

Parties are required to sign the Agreement for Arbitration and a pre-hearing conference call is scheduled. During the call, the parties identify the nature of the case and develop a schedule covering discovery, pre-hearing motions, and hearings. If the hearings are to be virtual, the special considerations discussed in Virtual ADR are reviewed.

Parties are billed for the estimated cost of the proceeding and their respective share of this fee must be prepaid promptly after the initial pre-hearing conference call.