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SERVICE · 03 / 07 Dispute · Scott Schedule · HGCRA

Adjudication
Support.

When negotiation fails, the records win. We prepare Scott Schedules, smash-and-grab claims, and true-value adjudications drafted to the standards adjudicators actually apply.

Key outcome Records-led submissions. Settlement-ready posture from month one.
Typical recovery
£100K – £1M
Per dispute · variations + EOT + retention combined.
Lead chartered partner
MRICS
20+ years commercial & dispute work.
Methodology
HGCRA · SCL
Statutory regime + Society of Construction Law protocol.
Response window
7 working days
Pay-less notice / smash & grab — statutory clock.

Disputes resolved on records, not rhetoric.

Scott Schedule preparation, smash & grab, true-value adjudication, without-prejudice negotiation. The four routes UK construction disputes take — covered.

CLUSTER · 01 Records preparation

Evidence pack first. Always.

A Scott Schedule reads as well as the records behind it. We build the evidence pack — drawings, RFIs, EWNs, daily reports, photo trail — before drafting a single line of the claim.

  • Scott Schedule preparationREC · 01
  • Evidence pack compilation & indexingREC · 02
  • Programme & delay narrativeREC · 03
  • Expert witness liaison & brief preparationREC · 04
CLUSTER · 02 Adjudication strategy

Smash & grab — or true value.

HGCRA gives subcontractors a fast-track statutory route — but only if the notice is correct. We choose the route that fits the dispute, then run the submission to the adjudicator's expectations.

  • Smash & grab claim (technical notice)STRAT · 01
  • True-value adjudication preparationSTRAT · 02
  • Payment notice / pay-less notice challengeSTRAT · 03
  • Adjudication response defenceSTRAT · 04
CLUSTER · 03 Without-prejudice

Settle before the referral.

Most disputes settle without an adjudicator. We lead the without-prejudice channel in parallel — heads of terms drafted, settlement memo prepared, position protected if talks fail.

  • Without-prejudice negotiation leadWP · 01
  • Heads of terms draftingWP · 02
  • Settlement memo & signing strategyWP · 03
  • Mediation support (where appointed)WP · 04
CLUSTER · 04 Post-adjudication

Enforce. Close out. Learn.

Winning the adjudication isn't the final step — enforcement, retention release and lessons-learned discipline are what stop the same dispute happening on the next project.

  • Enforcement (CPR Part 7 if required)POST · 01
  • Retention release strategyPOST · 02
  • Lessons-learned & record templatesPOST · 03

Two disputes. One difference.

Same value at stake. Same adjudicator. One referral with contemporaneous records, one with reconstructed evidence. Settlement values diverge by hundreds of thousands.

Without protection

Weak Scott Schedule. Settle low.

Rushed Scott Schedule preparation — gaps in evidence trail
Reconstructed records post-event — adjudicator discounts weight
No contemporaneous photographs, daily reports or RFI trail
Programme narrative built retrospectively from invoices
Smash & grab notice non-compliant with HGCRA — fails on technicality
Settlement at 30–40% of claim value (or worse)
30%
Typical recovery on reconstructed records
With Ashton Blake

Pre-built records. Settle 90%+.

Scott Schedule built throughout project — never rushed
Contemporaneous evidence pack — daily reports, photos, RFIs, EWNs
Programme narrative SCL-Protocol compliant from day one
HGCRA-compliant payment notices logged throughout
Adjudication-ready posture from month one — never improvised
Settlement at 90–95% of claim value — often without referral
95%
Recovery rate with embedded records

Four-step adjudication preparation.

Whether you're weeks from a referral or starting fresh on a new project — we build the same records discipline either way.

01
Week 1 · Audit

Dispute & records audit.

Current dispute mapped. Existing records audited for completeness. Statutory clock reviewed (HGCRA timings). Strategic route chosen — adjudication, WP, or both in parallel.

Delivered
Dispute audit report
Records gap analysis
Statutory clock map
Strategic recommendation
02
Week 2 · Compile

Records compilation.

Evidence pack indexed: drawings rev history, RFIs, EWNs, daily reports, photographs, programme baselines, payment cycle history. Scott Schedule drafted in parallel.

Delivered
Indexed evidence pack
Scott Schedule (draft)
Programme narrative
Witness statement briefs
03
Week 3+ · Submit

Submission & defence.

Referral notice served (or response defended). Without-prejudice channel run in parallel. Adjudicator submissions filed to procedural timetable. Expert witness statements where appointed.

Delivered
Referral / response notice
Submission bundle
Expert statements
WP negotiation lead
04
Decision · Enforce

Decision & enforcement.

Adjudicator's decision received. Enforcement strategy executed if MC defaults. Retention release. Lessons-learned pack & template improvements for next project.

Delivered
Decision execution
Enforcement (if needed)
Retention release
Lessons-learned
Free · 15 minutes · No obligation · Senior partner only

Don't draft the Scott Schedule at the dispute.

Draft it at mobilisation. Update it monthly. Hold it as standby for two years. The cases that never go to adjudication are the ones where the schedule is already drafted.

Response timeSame working day
Partner levelMRICS chartered
ConfidentialityNDA on request
CoverageUK · Europe · MENA · CIS