In documents-only arbitration (sometimes called “desk arbitration”), the parties submit their contracts, correspondence, invoices, photographs, and written statements; the tribunal reads the record and issues a reasoned award. There is no live hearing to schedule, which removes the single largest source of delay and cost in commercial arbitration.
When it fits
Documents-only procedure fits disputes that turn on what the papers say: payment disputes, defaults and guaranties, escrow and earnest-money disagreements, construction draw disputes, delay and termination claims documented in schedules and change orders. If the answer is in the record, a hearing adds calendar time without adding information.
When it doesn't
Cases that genuinely hinge on live credibility — who is lying about a conversation no one wrote down — are a poor fit. So are disputes requiring physical inspection or extensive expert cross-examination. An honest institution says so: The Turing Tribunal accepts only two-party, documents-only commercial disputes up to $5 million, and its Rules keep everything else out of scope.
Being heard without a hearing
The traditional objection is that parties want their day in court. The answer is procedural: before deliberation, the Turing Tribunal shows each side a neutral summary of its own claims, defenses, and evidence — and the party corrects anything it misread. You confirm the tribunal understood you before it decides. No traditional forum offers that certainty, hearing or not. The full procedure is on the How It Works page.
The economics
Removing hearings removes hourly hearing charges, travel, and months of calendar coordination. It is what makes a flat fee and a fixed calendar possible: at The Turing Tribunal, the respondent answers within 14 days of filing, and the award issues within 14 days of the record closing.