| Because an arbitration agreement effectively waives a party's | right to a jury trial, courts should ensure the fairness of an | agreement to arbitrate, particularly in instances involving | statutory rights that provide claimants with important | remedies. Courts should determine that an arbitration process | is adequate to protect important rights. Without these | safeguards, arbitration loses credibility as an appropriate | alternative to litigation. |
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| §8707.__Motion to compel or stay arbitration |
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| | 1.__Motion to compel arbitration.__On motion of a person | showing an agreement to arbitrate and alleging another | person's refusal to arbitrate pursuant to the agreement: |
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| A.__If the refusing party does not appear or does not | oppose the motion, the court shall order the parties to | arbitrate; and |
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| B.__If the refusing party opposes the motion, the court | shall proceed summarily to decide the issue and order the | parties to arbitrate unless it finds that there is no | enforceable agreement to arbitrate. |
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| | 2.__Motion that no agreement.__On motion of a person | alleging that an arbitration proceeding has been initiated or | threatened but that there is no agreement to arbitrate, the | court shall proceed summarily to decide the issue. If the | court finds that there is an enforceable agreement to | arbitrate, it shall order the parties to arbitrate. |
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| | 3.__No enforceable agreement.__If the court finds that there | is no enforceable agreement, it may not order the parties to | arbitrate pursuant to subsection 1 or 2. |
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| | 4.__Claim lacks merit, grounds not established.__The court | may not refuse to order arbitration because the claim subject | to arbitration lacks merit or grounds for the claim have not | been established. |
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| | 5.__Claim pending in court.__If a proceeding involving a | claim referable to arbitration under an alleged agreement to | arbitrate is pending in court, a motion under this section | must be made in that court. Otherwise a motion under this | section may be made in any court as provided in section 8727. |
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| | 6.__Stay judicial proceeding upon motion to order | arbitration.__If a party makes a motion to the court to order | arbitration, the court on just terms shall stay any judicial | proceeding that involves a claim alleged to be subject to the |
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