Opinion ID: 2635821
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: direction to the district court

Text: ¶ 24 We clarify our ruling for the sake of the lower courts which will have to proceed in conformity with the law as we explain it today. When presented with a question regarding an arbitration agreement, the court must first determine whether the parties have agreed to a method for the selection of arbitrators. If the arbitration clause at issue specifies a method, the court must direct the parties to apply that method. If the party seeking to bring a claim chooses not to follow the agreed upon method, that party has no avenue available in court; the method agreed upon between the parties in the arbitration agreement is the only option for addressing a claim. ¶ 25 The court's next step is a determination of the scope of the arbitration agreement. This requires an interpretation of the agreement for a finding as to which claims are subject to arbitration. Appropriate matters are then referred to arbitration. Should the arbitrator later determine that any of the referred claims do not fit under the arbitration clause, the parties may then pursue that matter through the courts.