Santa Ana Construction Law ADR Attorney

Santa Ana Construction Law ADR Attorney

It’s always recommended that you have legal assistance by your side when you are dealing with any kind of legal dispute. This is especially true for construction law disputes. It doesn’t take much for a construction dispute to evolve into a legal issue that affects multiple companies and reputations. To avoid expensive and public litigation, you may want to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. A Santa Ana construction law ADR attorney can help.

The legal team at Engels-Janzen can provide you with the resources you need to settle construction disputes and other construction law cases outside of a courtroom. The construction laws of California can be hard to navigate alone, but a Santa Ana construction law alternative dispute resolution lawyer knows the most effective ways to help.

Our legal team has over 25 years of experience helping clients through ADR options and litigation alike. We know what kind of help you need.

Construction Disputes in Santa Ana

If you decide to pursue legal action for a construction dispute in Santa Ana, your case will be handled within the Orange County Superior Court. The location of your case will either be the Central Justice Center on Civic Center Drive West or the Civil Complex Center on West Santa Ana Boulevard, depending on the details of your case. Construction disputes are common. Private nonresidential construction spending in California totaled $34 billion in 2023.

It’s vital that you prepare for ADR by fully recognizing the scope of your dispute, as well as how protective California state law may be for you. For example, state law protects homeowners from bearing the cost of any construction defects in newly built homes. Our firm can support property owners and contractors alike by facilitating a reasonable discussion through ADR. Here are some of the most common construction disputes that can arise in Santa Ana:

• Contract disputes. Disputes that arise from a breach of contract are common throughout California. It’s important to have legal support when drafting a contract, regardless of whether you are the property owner or the contractor preparing to work on a job site. Every involved party should know where everyone stands legally before starting work. A breach of contract can lead to legal penalties. Our firm can help find a resolution.
• Construction defects. The amount in state and private funds that’s lost from construction defects is staggering. Defects solely from issues involving soil degradation on a building’s foundation caused statewide economic losses of $3.7 billion in 2025. Defects can lead to other serious problems, particularly the safety of the building at hand. It’s understandable to want to pursue legal action for a defect, but we can help you resolve it.
• Payment disputes. There’s nothing wrong with expecting prompt and accurate payment if you’re a contractor or expecting to be charged the agreed-upon amount if you are the property owner. It doesn’t take much for a payment dispute to turn aggressive and permanently damage a working relationship. We can assist you in finding an alternative way to resolve this dispute without going through the courts.
• Project delays. When you hire a contractor, it’s reasonable to expect them to finish the job at an agreed-upon time. Unfortunately, project delays are common and can happen for many different reasons. Sometimes, it’s completely out of anyone’s control. Other times, it’s due to poor management or a labor shortage, among other factors. A delay is something you need to resolve, and we can help you do that.

The ADR Process in California

Alternative dispute resolution is a cheaper, more efficient method of resolving conflict that allows you to get a legal judgment on your case without going through the complications of the courts. The ultimate goal through mediation, arbitration, or a settlement conference is to reach a mutually beneficial or at least civil resolution. You should hire a construction law ADR attorney to help you through it. Here’s how the process works:

• Initiation. The ADR process can be initiated by either party at any time by filing a Stipulation to ADR with the civil clerk’s office. By this point, both parties will likely have been strongly advised by the court to select an ADR process at the first Case Management Conference. It’s possible the court may order an arbitration session if the civil case is under $50,000 in value. There will be a filing fee of $150.
• Selecting a neutral party. While you are advised to have your own legal support by your side during the ADR session, you and the other party can choose a third-party mediator or arbitrator by searching through options on the court’s website. It will be the plaintiff’s job to notify the neutral party to schedule a date for the ADR session and learn what the neutral party expects from everyone during the session.
• Length of the session. There is no telling how long ADR can take. While many cases only require a single meeting to reach a resolution, that’s not always the case. The more complex cases will require additional sessions. All sessions must be completed by a date set by a judge. Generally, it will be within 90 days of the date the judge referred you to ADR.
• Costs. Generally, both parties will share the total cost of ADR. The cost for judicial arbitration is $150. The cost for civil mediation is $300 for the first two hours of a session. Both parties will need to pay the mediator’s market rate if they wish to continue the session beyond that.

Make Sure You Hire a Construction Law ADR Attorney Today

It’s important that you make sure you are weighing every option available to you when it comes to resolving your construction law dispute. Litigation may not be the answer you initially think it is. Pursuing ADR can be a lesser strain on your finances and your time. At Engels-Janzen, we can assist you in building a strong case, choosing the right arbitrator or mediator, and preventing the other party from taking advantage of your position. Contact us to speak to someone today.