Consumer Arbitration Fee Schedule
Consumer Arbitration Fee Schedule (Adobe� Acrobat Required,
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The filing fee for all consumer arbitrations shall be as follows:
- If the dispute is for a sum less than $25,000.00, the filing fee shall be $125.00 per party;
- If the dispute is for a sum equal to or greater than $25,000.00, the filing fee shall be $350.00 per party.
If the consumer initiates the arbitration, then the consumer shall be responsible for the consumer’s filing fee and other charges as indicated below:
- If the dispute is for a sum less than $25,000.00, the consumer shall be responsible for his/her $125.00 filing fee only.
- If the dispute is for a sum equal to or greater than $25,000.00 but less than $75,000.00, the consumer shall be responsible for his/her $350.00 filing fee only.
- If the dispute is for a sum greater than $75,000.00, the consumer shall be responsible for one-half of all costs and fees, including without limitation filing fees, arbitrator compensation, and all deposits.
- The non-consumer shall be responsible for all costs and fees not specifically required to be paid by the consumer.
If the non-consumer party initiates the arbitration, then said non-consumer party shall be responsible for all costs and fees, including and without limitation filing fees, arbitrator compensation, expenses and deposits.
Parties are defined as those needing separate legal counsel and/or a separate insurance company representative.
Arbitrator time for matters conducted within the St. Louis metropolitan area is charged at the rate of $250-$475 per hour. Arbitrator time for matters conducted outside of the St. Louis metropolitan area will be charged at local rates. They are entitled to compensation for all time spent on the case, including preparation time, telephone time, attendance at the arbitration hearing, follow up and travel time. A portion of the hourly rate is retained by USA&M as part of its charges.
USA&M is entitled to reimbursement for any extraordinary administrative expenses (such as long-distance telephone or overnight mail charges).
When a case is withdrawn after an arbitrator has reserved a date for the hearing, he/she is entitled to request a minimum 2-hour cancellation fee.
Billing
Arbitrations are billed in advance of the hearing date. The filing fee must be paid at the time of the filing of the claim. All other fees for the arbitration will be billed and shall be paid before the date of the hearing. Supplemental billings will be made as circumstances require. Fees are usually divided equally between the parties, although payment of all fees by one side is not unusual. All payments must be received prior to the issuance of an award.
Lunch
Should you so desire, lunch can be provided to the parties at an approximate charge of $7 per person.
This fee schedule applies to consumer cases received by our office on or after June 2009. Fees may be modified in the discretion of USA&M for volume caseload programs and are subject to change without notice.
NOTE: Nothing contained herein is intended to give legal advice. Individuals should always consult with an attorney before entering into a contract.