Expert testimony is not required and therefore seldom employed, thus affording sizable savings to all parties. The parameters are discussed, agreed upon and stipulated to by the parties, prior to the actual arbitration being held. The parameters are never disclosed to the neutral. The neutral who presides at each hearing is, in most instances, chosen by mutual consent of the disputants. SSI arbitrations are considered binding and nonappealable, with no de novo provision.
Parties can agree prior to the hearing, on what they wish to have decided.
Normally both liability and damages are argued, but cases can be heard for damages only, liability only, apportionment, or any other issues needing to be resolved. The flexibility of the process is limited only by the imagination and consent of the disputants. Procedurally, the hearing can be conducted in any manner which the neutral feels will permit a fair presentation of the case by the parties, with the majority of hearings reaching completion in one hour. He will reserve decision, with a written award forwarded to the parties generally within two or three weeks. The entire procedure is private with no stenographic record, further ensuring the privacy of both the procedure and the outcome.