How to Fill Out and File the JAMS Demand for Arbitration Form

To file a JAMS Demand for Arbitration, complete the demand form that matches your dispute type, attach the contract containing your arbitration clause, calculate the damages you’re seeking, and submit everything with the filing fee through the JAMS Access online portal. You then have to serve a copy on the opposing party yourself and send JAMS proof of that service before the case will officially commence. For a standard two-party case the filing fee is $2,000, though consumers and employees pay far less under separate rules.

Gather Three Things Before You Open the Form

Missing information is the most common reason a filing stalls. Before you start, pull together party details, the underlying contract, and a damages number.

For every party, you need the full legal name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. Under Rule 5(b) of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, JAMS will not issue a Commencement Letter until the claimant has provided contact information for all parties.¹ If the respondent is a business, use the registered legal name rather than a trade name. That avoids service problems later.

Locate the original contract that contains your arbitration clause. That agreement is the source of the arbitrator’s authority, and JAMS expects it attached. Read the clause closely. It may specify which JAMS rules apply, how many arbitrators will hear the case, or where the hearing has to take place. Those details affect which form you use and how you complete it.

Then calculate the total dollar value of what you’re seeking, which JAMS calls the Amount in Controversy. Add everything: unpaid invoices, lost profits, repair costs, whatever your claim covers. This figure decides which set of procedural rules governs and shapes the fee arrangement.

You Don’t Need a Lawyer

JAMS permits parties to proceed without counsel and publishes an informational notice for unrepresented parties.² JAMS and its arbitrators will not give you legal advice or help build your case, however. If you’re unsure whether to hire counsel, your local bar association can refer you.

Pick the Right Form and Rule Set

JAMS uses different demand forms for different dispute types. The main categories are Comprehensive (general commercial disputes), Employment, and Consumer. Your contract usually specifies which applies. The wrong form can stall your case or change how fees are allocated, so match the form to the relationship that created the dispute.

Form choice ties directly to procedural rules. If your arbitration agreement doesn’t specify rules and no disputed claim or counterclaim exceeds $250,000 (excluding interest and attorney fees), JAMS defaults to its Streamlined Arbitration Rules.³ Larger claims, or cases where the parties agree, fall under the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules. Streamlined cases move faster with limited discovery; Comprehensive cases allow broader evidence exchange and longer timelines. If your clause names specific rules, those control regardless of the dollar amount.

Filling Out the Demand

The form itself is not complicated. You enter your party information, identify the respondent, and describe the dispute. The description doesn’t need to read like a legal brief. Keep it factual: what the contract required, what went wrong, and when. Something like “the respondent failed to deliver 500 units by the June 15 deadline” works better than pages of argument.

Under Rule 9(b) of the Comprehensive Rules, the demand must include a statement of the remedies you’re seeking.¹ Be specific. State whether you want money damages, specific performance of a contract term, or both. If you already filed a lawsuit that is now moving to arbitration, you can attach and incorporate your court complaint rather than rewriting it. Attach any answer the respondent already filed too.

Attach the contract containing the arbitration clause. Supporting documents like purchase orders, invoices, or correspondence showing the breach are helpful but not required at the filing stage.

What the Filing Costs

JAMS requires the full filing fee before commencing the case. For a standard two-party arbitration, the fee is $2,000. Cases with three or more parties cost $3,500 to file. On top of the filing fee, JAMS charges a Case Management Fee equal to 13% of all professional fees (the arbitrator’s hourly charges for hearings, research, and award preparation) throughout the life of the case. A respondent who files a counterclaim pays a separate $2,000 filing fee.⁴

Consumers Pay $250; Employees Pay the Initial Case Management Fee

If your dispute arises from a consumer contract, the most you’ll pay to initiate arbitration is $250. The company on the other side covers everything else: the remaining filing fee, case management fees, and all of the arbitrator’s professional fees. When the company initiates arbitration against a consumer, the company pays all costs.⁵

Employment disputes work similarly. When arbitration is required as a condition of employment, the employee’s only obligation is JAMS’s initial Case Management Fee. The employer bears all other administrative and arbitrator costs. An employee can voluntarily contribute more but cannot be forced to.⁶

Submit Through JAMS Access, Then Serve the Other Side

Submit the completed demand, attachments, and payment through JAMS Access, the organization’s online filing portal. Log in or create an account, upload your documents, and pay electronically.⁷

Filing with JAMS does not notify the opposing party. That’s on you. You must serve a copy of the demand and all attachments on every respondent. Under Rule 8(e), acceptable service methods for non-electronic filings include hand delivery, overnight delivery service, or U.S. mail. Service is effective on the date you deposit the document with the carrier, not the date it arrives. JAMS or the arbitrator may also require electronic filing and service through the JAMS Electronic Filing System, in which case all parties must maintain a valid email address for receiving documents.¹

After serving the respondent, send JAMS proof that service was completed. JAMS will not issue the Commencement Letter without this proof, even if you’ve already paid the filing fee.¹ Professional process servers typically charge between $20 and $100 if you’d rather have a third party handle delivery.

What Happens After You File

Once JAMS has your completed demand, filing fee, and proof of service, it issues a Commencement Letter to all parties. This letter confirms the arbitration has officially begun and starts the clock on procedural deadlines.¹ JAMS also assigns a Case Manager who handles logistics, coordinates communication between the parties and the eventual arbitrator, and answers procedural questions.

The Respondent’s 14 Days

The respondent has 14 calendar days from service of the demand to submit a written response to JAMS and serve it on all other parties. The response can include affirmative defenses, jurisdictional challenges, or counterclaims. If the respondent doesn’t answer a particular claim, that claim is treated as denied. Silence is not agreement.¹ A counterclaim carries its own $2,000 filing fee.⁴

If You Need Emergency Relief Right Away

If you need immediate protection, such as an injunction to stop the other party from destroying evidence or transferring assets, you don’t have to wait through the full arbitrator selection process. Under Rule 2(c) of the Comprehensive Rules, you can request emergency relief from JAMS at any time after filing.¹

The request must be in writing (by email or personal delivery), must explain why emergency relief is needed, and must certify that you notified the other parties or describe the efforts you made. JAMS appoints an emergency arbitrator, typically within 24 hours. Within two business days, that arbitrator sets a briefing schedule so both sides can be heard. To grant emergency relief, the arbitrator must find that you would suffer immediate loss or damage without it and that you’re legally entitled to the relief requested. The emergency arbitrator can condition any relief on your posting adequate security, and once a permanent arbitrator is appointed, that arbitrator can modify or vacate the emergency order.¹

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JAMS. Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures
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JAMS Mediation, Arbitration, ADR Services. Unrepresented Party Informational Notice
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JAMS. Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures
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JAMS. Arbitration Schedule of Fees and Costs
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JAMS Mediation, Arbitration, ADR Services. Consumer Arbitration Minimum Standards
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JAMS. Employment Arbitration Minimum Standards
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JAMS. Submit a Case