lawyer contract....dont really know what it all means, please simplify it for me :)?

Question

notice: by intitialing in the space below you are agreeing to have any dispute arising out of the matters included in the "agreement to arbitrate" provision decided by neutral arbitration as provided by california law and you are giving up any rights you might possess to have the dispute litigated in a court or jury trial. by initialing in the space below you are giving up your judicial rights to the discovery and appeal. unless those rights are specifically included in the "agreement to arbitrate" provision. if you refuse to submit to arbitrate under the authority of the california code of civil procedure. youre agreement to this arbitration provision is voluntary"
"we have read and understand the foregoing and agree to submit disputes arising out of the matters included in the "agreement to arbitrate" provision to neutral arbitration"

Answer 1

You're agreeing to have an unbiased third party make a final and binding (unchangeable) decision. It sounds like a fairly standard agreement for arbitration, which is much simpler and much cheaper than going to court. If the issue is relatively small, this is probably the best way to go.

Answer 2

If you are signing, then you are agreeing that any dispute between covered by the Contract to be heard by an arbitrator. You would be bound by the findings of the arbitrator.

There are pros and cons to arbitration. I personally would not agree to arbitration. Using some reasoning, if arbitration were good for you, then it wouldn't be in the Contract written by the other guy.

Ask the other guy to take out the clause. Maybe they will. If not, then think long and hard about signing the Contract.

GOOD LUCK.

Answer 3

Interesting. Good typing by the way.

Your dispute is going in front of an arbitrator instead of going to trial. The judicial system has many innovative ways to prevent trial and for good reason. In this case you are agreeing to abide by the decision of an arbitrator. If you go to trial in court you get many rights like the ability to appeal. This may save you tons of time and the necessity of paying a lawyer.

But realize if you don't like the decision of the arbitrator you are stuck with nowhere to go.

Good luck, and remember, attitude is a choice.

I have tons of other questions that would help here but space does not permit!!

Answer 4

basically, by signing the papers you give up the right to have a dispute or arguement decided in a court or by a jury.

It will be decided by a neutral judge.

Signing these papers is voluntary- you were'nt forced to do it.

This is based off of a "agreement to arbitrate" document.

The last sentence says that you have read and understood what this says and agree to have disputes involving anything mentioned in the "agreement to arbitrate" document resolved by a neutral judge.