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.
No upfront fees. Claims up to $500K. Trusted by Upwork.
Based on publicly available fee schedules and average U.S. civil litigation costs.
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.
Timeline: 6–18 months
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 clauseWhen a breach occurs, file your claim online. Upload your contract, invoices, and evidence. The opposing party gets notified and has an opportunity to respond.
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.
"Brief powers Upwork's global dispute resolution for fixed-price contracts, handling disputes for millions of freelancers and clients worldwide."
"Ironwood Finance uses Brief to resolve MCA and factoring defaults, converting disputes into binding awards that are domesticated into enforceable judgments."
Brief works across financial services, lending, marketplaces, and any business where contracts get breached.
| 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? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Fees based on publicly available AAA/JAMS schedules and average U.S. civil litigation costs.
See Full Comparison →Recover recourse claims and disputed invoices in weeks, not years.
→ Factoring companiesStop writing off defaults. Start recovering them.
→ MCA providersOne clause. Every product type. Every dispute resolved.
→ Alternative lendersResolution as fast as your checkout.
→ B2B BNPL platformsTrusted by Upwork. Built for platform scale.
→ Marketplace operatorsBoth 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.
Hearing room costs
with Brief
$2,000+
Typical AAA/JAMS
hearing facility cost
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.
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.
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.
Stop deciding between writing it off and spending $15K in legal fees. Brief gives you a third option.
Takes 15 minutes. No commitment. See exactly how Brief works for your business.
It starts with a simple update to the dispute resolution language within your agreements, and that’s it. No upfront fees and transparent pricing when claims are submitted.
Let’s get started with a few quick questions about your business, and we’ll suggest a dispute resolution clause that you can adopt into your agreements.