Rule 13.080.Assignment to Arbitrator
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 13.080
Plain-English Summary
An arbitrator arrives by agreement or through the court's process. The parties may select an arbitrator by stipulation, which is the fastest route when counsel can agree. Without agreement, the court's procedures take over.
That process starts with a packet. At the time of giving notice of the assignment to arbitration, the trial court administrator furnishes a list of proposed arbitrators along with a copy of the procedures for selecting arbitrators and for setting an arbitration hearing. Those selection procedures are established by the arbitration commission, so they are local. Read what the trial court administrator sends rather than assuming another county's practice carries over.
Either way, the rule sets an outside limit: an arbitrator must be assigned within 21 days after the assignment to arbitration. That deadline matters because other clocks in the chapter start from the arbitrator rather than from the case. The hearing window runs from the date the case is assigned to the arbitrator, and each party's share of the arbitrator's preliminary payment comes due after appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we choose our own arbitrator?
Yes. The rule's first option is selection by stipulation. If all parties agree on a person, that agreement controls and you do not need to work through the court's list.
How does the court pick an arbitrator if we cannot agree?
Through procedures the arbitration commission establishes. The trial court administrator sends a list of proposed arbitrators and a copy of those procedures when the case is assigned to arbitration, and the selection follows from there.
How long does it take to get an arbitrator?
An arbitrator must be assigned within 21 days after the case is assigned to arbitration, whether the assignment comes by stipulation or through the court's procedures.
What arrives with the notice of assignment to arbitration?
A list of proposed arbitrators and a copy of the procedures for selecting arbitrators and for setting an arbitration hearing. Both come from the trial court administrator at the time the notice goes out.
Does the assignment start other deadlines?
Yes. The chapter's scheduling rule runs its hearing window from the date the case is assigned to the arbitrator, and the compensation rule runs each party's payment obligation from the arbitrator's appointment. Getting the arbitrator named is what sets the rest of the timetable in motion.