CRT BC Negotiation and Facilitation: What Happens Before Adjudication

After you file a CRT small claim and the respondent submits a Dispute Response, the case doesn't jump straight to a binding decision. The Civil Resolution Tribunal routes every small claim through two settlement-oriented stages first: negotiation and facilitation.

The Negotiation Phase

Negotiation is a direct, party-to-party stage conducted through the CRT's online portal. No tribunal staff member is involved — it's just you and the respondent exchanging messages and settlement proposals.

The CRT opens a negotiation page where both parties can try to reach an agreement. There is no standard 14-to-21-day window for every claim; the time depends on whether the parties engage and reach agreement. You can propose a payment amount, a payment plan, or a compromise. If both sides agree, you can request a Consent Resolution Order ($25 fee) that makes the agreement legally binding and enforceable as a court order.

There's no obligation to settle during negotiation. If the respondent ignores the process or you can't agree on terms, the case moves to facilitation automatically.

One practical point: anything you say during negotiation is considered a settlement discussion. If the case proceeds to adjudication, the tribunal member won't see your negotiation offers. You can negotiate freely without worrying that a lower offer will be used against you later.

The Facilitation Phase

If negotiation fails, the CRT assigns a case manager — a trained facilitator — to help both parties find a resolution. The facilitator is not a decision-maker. They can't force either side to accept a deal, but they can clarify the issues, identify common ground, and help structure a compromise.

Facilitation happens through the online portal. The facilitator may communicate with both parties together or separately. They'll often point out the strengths and weaknesses of each side's position, which can be the reality check that moves a stalled dispute toward settlement.

The facilitator also handles case management tasks during this phase — setting evidence submission deadlines, deciding procedural requests, and preparing the file for adjudication if settlement doesn't happen.

When the Case Moves to Adjudication

If facilitation ends without an agreement, the case is prepared for a tribunal member's binding decision. The case manager asks the applicant to pay the $50 decision fee; if the applicant does not pay, a respondent may pay it. The parties submit their evidence and written arguments within the deadlines the case manager sets.

There is no standard timeframe for negotiation and facilitation. The case manager sets deadlines during facilitation; if the claim does not settle, the dispute moves to decision preparation. For overall context, the CRT reported an average time to resolution of 250 days and a median of 198 days for small-claims disputes closed between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025. If you want to know what happens after facilitation closes, the post on CRT evidence and hearing preparation covers the adjudication process.

Should You Settle or Push for a Decision?

Settlement has real advantages. You control the outcome, avoid the $50 adjudication fee, and get a resolution faster. If the respondent offers something close to what you're owed, consider whether the certainty of a deal outweighs the risk that the tribunal member might award less — or nothing.

On the other hand, if the respondent's offer is unreasonably low or they're not engaging in good faith, don't feel pressured to accept. The CRT's adjudication process exists for exactly this situation, and the CRT may refund the application fee if you settle during the negotiation phase.

The BC CRT Small Claim Filing Guide covers each stage of the dispute resolution process, including what to say (and what not to say) during negotiation, and how to prepare your evidence if the case goes to adjudication.

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