Administration

(a) Actions Designated and Time Schedules. In all actions subject to arbitration the court shall designate such actions for arbitration sixty (60) days after the filing of the arbitration certificate required by Rule 1(e) provided the provisions of Arbitration Rules 7.1(a)(1) and (c) have been fulfilled. The designation date may coincide with the date of selection/appointment of the arbitrator. The court shall set a date of not more than 240 days after selection/appointment, by which time the arbitration hearing must be concluded. (b) Notice. Notice that a case has been assigned to arbitration shall be served on the selected arbitrator and all parties within five (5) days of such selection. Within five (5) days of receiving such notice, the selected arbitrator shall notify the Arbitration Office and all parties to the matter in accordance with Super.R.Civ.P. 5(b) that the arbitrator has received and accepted the designation. (c) Date of Hearing Advanced by Agreement. A hearing may be held earlier than the date set by the arbitrator by agreement of the parties with arbitrator approval. (d) Forms. Forms for use in these arbitration proceedings must be approved by the Superior Court. The most current versions of the forms are located on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov under the heading of Public Resources, Forms. (e) Delegation of Nonjudicial Functions. To conserve judicial resources and facilitate the effectiveness of these Arbitration Rules, the court may delegate nonjudicial administrative duties and functions to supporting court personnel and authorize them to require compliance with approved procedures. (f) Definitions. “Court” as used in these Arbitration Rules means, depending upon the context in which it is used, the presiding justice or a designee of the presiding justice. Rule 7.1. Administration and Proration of Reasonable Costs of Arbitration Pursuant to G.L. 1956 § 8-6-5. - (a) Payment Schedule. The reasonable cost of an arbitration performed within these Arbitration Rules shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) and shall be apportioned as follows: (1) Except in consolidated cases, wherein one (1) or more parties is different, each party, (a party shall be all the plaintiffs and all the defendants, if more than one (1) of each) shall pay $100.00 in accordance with Arbitration Rules 7.1(c) 1 and 2. (2) If, at the conclusion of the arbitration hearing an award is rendered for the plaintiff and no rejection is filed, each party shall pay $100.00. Page 9 of 10 February 2024 (3) If, at the conclusion of the arbitration hearing an award is rendered for the defendant and no rejection is filed, the defendant shall pay $200.00 and the plaintiff will pay no fee. (b) Rejecting an Award. All matters rejected by any party shall be subject to Rule 5(b) regarding the filing fee for rejecting an award. (c) Billing. The Supreme Court Finance Office shall be responsible for establishing a process for billing. The Arbitration Office shall be responsible for collecting and transmitting to the Supreme Court all of the funds received by it pursuant to these Arbitration Rules, which shall be maintained and used exclusively for arbitration purposes. The monies assessed and apportioned as directed in paragraph (a) shall be collected by the Arbitration Office in the following manner: (1) As to all cases certified to arbitration pursuant to Arbitration Rules 1(a), (b), and (c), all funds due to the court must be delivered to the Arbitration Office no later than thirty (30) days after the arbitration certificate has been received and filed by the Arbitration Office; (2) As to all cases designated to arbitration or otherwise placed into arbitration where the arbitrator is to be selected or appointed within thirty (30) days, the funds due must be paid before the arbitrator is notified of the appointment or selection; or (3) As to all cases not rejected under Rule 5(b), the funds due shall be paid no later than forty (40) days after the arbitrator's award was received and filed by the Arbitration Office.