Easy access to professional assistance

We check the list of lawyers on our website almost daily. We contact almost all participants directly to thank them and offer a special news story in our social media. The list signifies to us that electronic arbitration is gaining popularity, and parties to arbitration proceedings have easy access to professional legal assistance. These matters are extremely important at this stage. Ultima Ratio is, after all, the first fully electronic arbitration court in our country. 

They want to be at the heart of change

The motives behind lawyers setting up accounts in our system are varied.

A large portion shares our passion for strategic change. They are fascinated by drafting pleadings on the electronic platform. They are intrigued by the possibility of corresponding with the arbitrator via case chat - in real-time, from a mobile phone. They are aware that they are doing things that were never possible before. They view online courts as the first major technological leap in the judiciary. They want to be at the heart of the changes taking place.

A new niche to exploit

Others, in turn, see Ultima Ratio as a new market they would like to exploit. They realize that electronic arbitration offers businesses benefits that companies in other courts could only dream of. A final judgment in 3 weeks? Exclusively online? Without witnesses, registered letters, and avoiding traffic jams on the way to hearings? Offering such conveniences to clients is an opportunity for new commissions. A new, incredible niche to exploit! 

Better client service

The third group consists of pragmatic lawyers. They do not download the Ultima Ratio mobile app and would prefer to draft pleadings in a word processor. However, they are fully aware of the inevitability of change. Due to professional skepticism - normal in the case of significant technological changes in a mature market - they would like to first "test" Ultima Ratio in selected areas of their clients' operations. Primarily where a large number of repetitive contracts with a mass contractor are involved. Unpaid invoices are a significant problem for their clients in such cases. Common courts operate so slowly that the risk associated with using a new solution is accepted by the client with their eyes closed.

Positive experiences

Regardless of whether lawyers are seeking efficiency, modernity, convenience, or lower costs in new solutions, they undoubtedly find it in Ultima Ratio. Mr. Piotr Rosłon from the law firm Sawaryn i Partnerzy describes his experiences with our Court in an interview with Gazeta Prawna on 24 June 2020:

“Everything went extraordinarily smoothly. It's convenient that I could simply send a video of the construction site to the court and attach photos showing the state of the building. The witness I proposed, an engineer, submitted a written statement regarding the feasibility of the work. A considerable plus is definitely the direct contact with the arbitrator. I supplemented certain formal shortcomings within one day, while normally exchanging documents would have taken weeks.”

The case indeed lasted only a few weeks, while in a common court it would have dragged on for at least two years, considering the complexity of the evidence material. Everything was done online, using photos, videos, and correspondence in the case chat. The client received a final judgment, which - after obtaining an enforcement clause - can be submitted to the bailiff.

Hard to meet deadlines

What do lawyers in Ultima Ratio find difficult to get used to? The biggest challenge is the need to keep up with the pace of the arbitrator's work. If the arbitrator has any questions for the legal representative or needs additional documents, a short deadline is set for the response: 3 working days. To enable legal representatives to respond so promptly, in the new version of the Court's mobile app, which will be available in app stores soon, users will receive a push notification for every message in the case chat.

Thank you to the lawyers registered with Ultima Ratio, and see you on the case profile! If you want to learn more about how to set up an account in our system and publish your contact information on the Ultima Ratio Registered Lawyers List, click here. 

A helpful addendum:

Arbitration - practical information you should know:

• After concluding a contract with an arbitration clause, neither party can withdraw from arbitration. The arbitration clause is treated the same as other essential provisions of the contract - for example, regarding the quantity of goods or the price

• In the event of a dispute, instead of going to a common court, the claim must be filed with the arbitration court. Article 1165 §1 of the Code of Civil Procedure does not allow it to be directed to a state court.

• The arbitration procedure is binding on both parties and the defendant - even if they change their mind along the way - cannot request