McHenry County arbitration center to speed dispute resolutions

The 22nd Judicial Circuit this week opened its own dedicated arbitration center near the Woodstock courthouse, a move court officials hope will shorten the time it takes to settle monetary disputes of less than $50,000.

The center, at 666 Russel Court, Suite 309, contains an office and two rooms for sides to present their cases to an arbitration panel.

The space is only about 850 square feet, but officials say it's a huge upgrade from where arbitration hearings were held in past: Friday mornings in the administrator lunchroom at the McHenry County Judicial Center.

“The toaster and the microwave were sitting in the same room with you (at the hearing)” said Dan Wallis, court administrator for the 22nd District. “Before we were only able to get one day a week. Now we can get more than that.”

Before the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts gave the 22nd Judicial Circuit the go-ahead to open the center and hire its own administrator, McHenry officials shared an administrator with the 19th Judicial Circuit who traveled from Waukegan to Woodstock to hold hearings once a week.

Wallis said officials now plan to have arbitration hearings on Thursdays and Fridays.

The current wait time from when a case is filed to when it is actually argued is about 10½ to 11 months, Wallis said. With the new center, officials hope to have cases with disputes between $10,000 and $15,000 heard in about four months and disputes between $15,001 and $50,000 heard in around six months.

“This is a very positive step in case management,” Wallis said. “We need to be accountable. We need to be good stewards.”

McHenry County has averaged 106 hearings a year over the past three fiscal years.

Arbitration cases in the 16th Judicial Circuit, which includes Kane, DeKalb and Kendall counties, usually take about six months for a panel to hear, said Margie Weiten, arbitration administrator.

The 16th Judicial Circuit has averaged 206 hearings a year over the past three fiscal years.

Weiten said hearings are held during two morning sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Geneva Courthouse.

Arbitration cases seeking between $10,000 to $50,000 are heard by a randomly selected panel of former judges or lawyers who have had special training.

After the panel hears both sides and considers case law and evidence, it issues an arbitration award that is not binding for 30 days, during which time either side may reject the award and then proceed to a trial before a judge or jury.