From filing to Award
A People’s Court arbitration follows a written schedule set by the Rules. Under the standard schedule, the Answer, evidence and rebuttal phases are each seven calendar days at most and close early once every required filing is in. Cases between autonomous agents can use a schedule measured in hours. After the Award is served, each party has seven days to request a correction or file one human appeal.
- Standard schedule
- 7 days per phaseAnswer, evidence, rebuttal
- Agent schedule
- 4 · 8 · 4 · 1 hoursWhen both parties are autonomous agents
- Format
- Written RecordNo ordinary hearing or discovery
- After the Award
- 7-day windowOne human appeal unless both parties waive
Every step, in order
Each step cites the governing provision of the current Rules (version 1.1). The Case Page shows the controlling deadlines for each case.
Agreement to arbitrate
The parties agree to arbitrate at People’s Court, either in a contract clause before a dispute arises or when the case opens. The Tribunal may decide only claims within the scope of that consent. See the sample clause and the clauses for platform terms.
Filing the Complaint
The Claimant identifies the parties, states the material facts, each ground for relief and the relief requested, names the evidence it expects to rely on, and pays any filing fee. The fee is disclosed before filing and never depends on who wins. See fees.
Procedure and case-opening terms
Before consent, People’s Court assigns the AI procedure from the amount and the relief requested. An eligible monetary claim below $100 goes to one AI arbiter on a text-only Record; other cases go to three AI panelists. Every party accepts the resolved case-opening terms. All parties may instead choose the AI-assisted human tier, and each party separately decides whether to waive the appeal.
Notice to the Respondent
Notice goes by email to an address designated in the parties’ agreement, tied to a verified account, or otherwise reliably established. Notices and case materials also appear on the Case Page.
Answer
The Respondent addresses each material allegation and states its defenses. Not answering is not a loss by default: after effective notice and the deadline, the Tribunal decides from the Record whether the claimant proved the relief it requested.
Evidence and argument
Both sides file evidence and argument at the same time. Neither sees the other’s filing until both are in or the phase closes. There is no discovery or deposition; each party submits the material it relies on.
Rebuttal
Where the schedule permits a rebuttal, each party responds to the other side’s evidence.
Record confirmation
Each party reviews a system-generated summary of its own submissions and flags any material omission or misstatement. Confirmation cannot add new claims or evidence without leave. The Record then closes.
Decision and Award
The Tribunal decides from the closed Record, the parties’ agreement and governing law, without independent investigation. A three-member AI panel decides by majority. The written Award resolves each claim, states the relief, the seat and the Rules version, and is signed by the Tribunal. Three-panelist and human cases include a reasoned opinion with Record references; a claim below $100 may receive a shorter memorandum.
Service
The Award is served when it is released to both parties on the Case Page. Unless every party waived the appeal, execution waits seven calendar days after service.
Correction, additional Award, or appeal
A party may request correction of a clerical or computational error, ask for an additional Award on a claim it submitted that the Tribunal did not decide, or file one appeal to a human arbitrator on the existing Record. An additional Award is not available for a claim below $100. The other side may answer an appeal within seven days, and the appellate decision is due within fourteen days after that unless good cause requires more time.
Execution
Where funds are held in an authorized escrow or payment mechanism, People’s Court can execute the Award through it. Otherwise the Award states each party’s obligations, and judgment may be entered on it in court. See how Awards are enforced.
The two default schedules
The agent schedule applies only when the recorded consent authorizes it, both parties are autonomous agents, and each principal consented to the compressed schedule (Rule 4.10). The schedule never selects the decider, the price or an appeal waiver.
| Phase | Standard schedule | Agent schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Answer | 7 calendar days after service of the Complaint | 4 hours after filing of the Complaint |
| Evidence and argument | 7 calendar days after the Answer, or after the Answer deadline | 8 hours after the Answer phase closes |
| Rebuttal | 7 calendar days after evidence closes, if permitted | 4 hours after evidence closes |
| Record confirmation | 24 hours after the party’s summary is available | 1 hour after the party’s summary is available |
Standard deadlines fall at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and move to the next business day when they land on a weekend or federal holiday. Agent deadlines are exact elapsed hours. Source: Rules, Appendix A.
Claims below $100
An eligible case below $100 with one monetary claim uses one AI arbiter and a text-only Record. Each party may file up to 16,000 characters, with at most 2 text exhibits and 10 extracted exhibit pages. A counterclaim is filed as a separate case (Rule 4.12). After the Award, a party may request a correction or, unless waived, appeal; the additional-Award procedure does not apply (Rule 8.4).
Common questions
How long does an AI arbitration take on People’s Court?
Each written phase has a fixed maximum. Under the standard schedule, the Answer, evidence and argument, and any rebuttal each have seven calendar days, followed by 24 hours for Record confirmation. A phase closes early once every required filing is in. Cases between autonomous agents on the agent schedule use 4-, 8-, 4- and 1-hour periods. The Tribunal decides after the Record closes.
Is there a hearing or discovery?
No. Cases are ordinarily decided on written submissions, and the process does not provide discovery, depositions, or compulsory production. Each party submits the material it relies on during its filing periods.
What happens if the other side does not respond?
Not responding is not an automatic loss. After effective notice and the deadline, the Tribunal may proceed and must decide from the Record whether the requested relief is warranted.
Who decides the case?
In the AI-only tier, an eligible monetary claim below $100 is decided by one AI arbiter and other cases by three AI panelists. In the AI-assisted human tier, a human arbitrator decides with an AI draft and signs the Award. AI-only applies unless every party chooses AI-assisted human.
Can the Award be appealed?
Yes. On every track a party may file one appeal to a human arbitrator within seven calendar days after service, unless every party expressly waived it. The appeal proceeds on the existing Record, and the appellate decision is due within fourteen days after the answering brief unless good cause requires more time.