In order to start the Arbitration process, it is necessary to file a written claim with the appropriate arbitration service and pay the filing fee. The majority of arbitration clauses in contracts will indicate the service that will hear the claim and provide the number of arbitrators to hear the matter. The American Arbitration Association is a commonly used service and claims can be filed electronically through their website. I recently assisted a client in the preparation of a Notice of Claim document. Once we reviewed and assembled the filing package, we filed the case online. Arbitration filing fees are significantly more than court filing fees and are based on the damages to be claimed in the case. Next: Arbitrator Selection