When is a Dispute not a Dispute

No sadly this isn't a joke but if you have ever been in a genuine dispute then you will no doubt be aware of the punch line.

But to answer this you have to understand the origins of a dispute.

Usually one side makes a claim / statement that is contradicted by the other side giving rise to a disagreement.
 
A disagreement is not a Dispute.

The disagreement only graduates to a dispute when either party, for whatever reasons, cannot accept the consequences of the disagreement and they insist that it is resolved.

A (construction) dispute can only be classified as a dispute once it has been "Crystallised". I beg your pardon? No don't worry you do not need to be a chemist. It's a term used to define clarity or coherence.

In other words just because your claim for payment has been rejected you are not in a Dispute. You may decide that you made an error after all!!

To crystallise your dispute you will need to reassert your claim after you are aware it has not been accepted.

If you would like to receive free advice on how to crystallise your dispute, contact us now.