Demands, Debt & Disputes
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Resolving a dispute
A disagreement that hasn't resolved itself — what the options are, and who it should go to.
Most disputes don't begin as legal matters. They begin as an invoice nobody paid, work that was never finished, or a disagreement with someone you still have to deal with afterwards — and what happens next depends far less on the word “dispute” than on what it is actually about.
What this can involveWhat it can involve
Does one of these sound like yours?
You don’t need to know the legal term for it. Start with what actually happened.
- A disagreement over an agreementOne side says the deal said something else. The agreement itself often sets out where that gets settled.
- A dispute with or inside a businessA supplier, a customer, a partner or a co-owner — including people you have to keep working with.
- A dispute about propertyUnpaid rent, who may stay, a sale that fell through, or a boundary nobody agrees on.
- A disagreement at workFrom either side of it: a dismissal, a restriction after leaving, or a problem that has not been resolved internally.
- A dispute about something you boughtFaulty, undelivered, or a refund refused — usually starting with a complaint in writing.
- A personal or family disagreementMoney, property or arrangements between people who are related, separating or sharing something.
Whatever the subject turns out to be, the ways of resolving it are the same set — a letter, a negotiation, mediation or arbitration where the parties have agreed to it, or support if it becomes formal. Which of them fits is part of what we look at, not something to decide first.
None of these quite right? You don’t have to pick one.
More than one area
One situation, more than one area of law.
Resolving a dispute rarely sits in a single category. These are the areas it most often reaches, and why. You don’t have to pick one — the matter decides, not you.
Each one is a real page you can read before deciding anything.
Most oftenDisputes & LitigationHow a disagreement gets resolved, and what the options actually are.
And often also
- ContractsMost disputes start inside an agreement, and the agreement often says where they are settled.
- Corporate & CommercialA disagreement with a partner, a supplier or a co-owner is a question about the business too.
- Real Estate & PropertyUnpaid rent, who may stay and a sale that fell through are property questions first.
- Consumer LawA dispute about something you bought begins as a complaint, with its own route.
Documents
You may also need a document.
A dispute often has a written step before anything else: setting out what you say happened, and what you want done about it.
Ready-to-Use Documents
Browse demands and debt documentsDemands, Debt & Disputes
Complaint Letter
Put a complaint about a product or service in writing.
Protecting Your Business
Cease & Desist Letter
Demand that someone stop a specific activity.
Demands, Debt & Disputes
Debt Settlement Agreement
Agree the terms on which a debt will be settled.
Not sure where to start
Still not sure this is your situation?
Then don't pick one. Describe what's happening in your own words and we'll work out what it involves — and which areas of law it reaches.
Other situations
Is one of these closer?
Questions
Questions people ask at this point.
Get started
Tell us what’s happening. We’ll take it from there.
You don't need to know which area of law it is, or what the next step should be. Describe the situation and we'll work out what it involves.