What does the SQE1 Dispute Resolution section actually test?

Civil litigation, ADR, and court procedures. The SRA assessment specification breaks Dispute Resolution into 14 topics, each examined through single-best-answer (SBA) questions in the FLK1 paper.

Is Dispute Resolution part of FLK1 or FLK2?

Dispute Resolution sits in FLK1. From January 2027 the FLK1 paper is 170 single-best-answer questions (180 until July 2026), sat as two sessions of 85 questions, 2 hours 33 minutes each, on the same day.

How many topics are in Dispute Resolution?

14. Our notes, flashcards, and question bank are mapped one-to-one against the SRA's DR specification so nothing is missed.

How long should I spend on Dispute Resolution?

Most candidates allocate roughly 42–70 hours across notes, flashcards, and timed practice. The exact split depends on your background — re-sitters can usually focus on weak topics rather than re-reading.

What is the best way to revise Dispute Resolution?

Active recall beats re-reading. Read the notes once, then practise SBA questions in mixed order, then revisit weak topics. Our weak-area tracker surfaces the topics where your accuracy is below 70%.

Are these Dispute Resolution SQE notes free?

The notes preview on this page and the sample topics are free, and the first chapter of the Dispute Resolution study guide downloads free as a PDF and EPUB. The complete notes for all 14 topics come with lifetime access to the platform, and the whole subject is also available as a £9.99 study guide.

Are the Dispute Resolution notes updated for the January 2027 specification?

Yes. The SRA's updated SQE1 specification applies from the January 2027 sitting, and the notes, questions and flashcards were revised against it in July 2026. Updates are included at no extra cost.

What is the difference between these notes and the Dispute Resolution study guide?

Same content, two formats. The platform gives you the notes alongside the DR question bank, flashcards and mock exams with progress tracking. The study guide is the Dispute Resolution notes as a book, PDF and EPUB with a paperback edition, with worked questions and flashcards in every chapter, for £9.99.

Can I practise Dispute Resolution questions without paying?

Yes. The free readiness quiz includes a sample from every subject, and free accounts can access sample questions across all subjects. The full DR question bank is unlocked with a one-time lifetime purchase and is covered by the 14-day money-back guarantee.

DRFLK1 · 14 topics

Dispute Resolution SQE notes.

Civil litigation, ADR, and court procedures. Below: a preview of the notes, all 14 topics, sample questions with worked explanations, and the first chapter of the Dispute Resolution study guide to download free, all mapped to the SRA’s FLK1 specification.

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Free sample chapter

The first chapter of the Dispute Resolution study guide, with five worked questions, as a PDF and EPUB. The full guide is £9.99 on its own, and every subject is included with lifetime access.

From the notes

Topic 01: Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

How the Dispute Resolution notes read. Every one of the 14 topics is written the same way: the rule, the trap the examiners set, and a worked question.

When clients face a dispute, one of the most important decisions you'll make as a solicitor is HOW to resolve it. Should they go to court? Try mediation? Use arbitration? Each option has different costs, timelines, procedures, and outcomes. Your choice affects your client's wallet, stress levels, and the final result.

Court has extensive powers to compel disclosure, evidence, and attendance
Judgments are enforceable through various methods (bailiffs, charging orders, etc.)
Creates binding precedent for future cases
Public proceedings promote transparency and justice

SQE1 Exam Focus: Examiners love testing: (1) When is mediation appropriate vs litigation? (2) What happens if a party unreasonably refuses ADR? (3) The Halsey principles on costs sanctions. (4) Key differences between arbitration and litigation (privacy, enforceability, appeal rights). (5) The court's power since 1 October 2024 to ORDER parties to use ADR (Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil CBC [2023] EWCA Civ 1416).

Full notes for all 14 topics are included with lifetime access, or as the Dispute Resolution study guide (£9.99).

All 14 topics in Dispute Resolution

SRA-aligned

01
Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
Comparison of ADR methods (arbitration, mediation) and litigation for resolving civil disputes
Free
02
Pre-Action Considerations
Limitation periods, pre-action protocols, and preliminary steps before issuing proceedings
03
Commencing a Claim
Court jurisdiction, issuing proceedings, and service of claim forms
04
Responding to a Claim
Defendant's options and responses to civil proceedings
05
Statements of Case
Structure, content, and amendments of statements of case in civil proceedings
06
Interim Applications
Court applications before trial - getting urgent help from the judge while your case is ongoing
07
Case Management
Overriding objective and how courts keep cases on track towards trial
08
Evidence
Rules of evidence, witness statements, and expert testimony in civil proceedings
09
Disclosure and Inspection
Disclosure obligations, document inspection, and privilege in civil proceedings
10
Trial Preparation
Getting ready for trial - bundles, skeleton arguments, and timetables
11
Trial Procedure
Conduct of a civil trial - advocacy, evidence, and judgment
12
Costs
Costs management, assessment, and orders in civil litigation
13
Appeals
Appeal procedure, grounds, and appellate court powers
14
Enforcement of Judgments
Enforcing money judgments and recovering debt

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4 sample DR questions

Real SBA questions from the Dispute Resolution bank, with the full explanation. The paid bank covers all 14 topics and difficulty levels.

A man is considering suing a former business partner for £75,000 over a broken profit-sharing promise. He tells his solicitor that he will go to court only if three things can be arranged: that no competitor learns what is said about his profit margins, that the claim is heard by a judge who has worked in his industry, and that he and his former partner can fix their own timetable and depart from the court's rules where those rules are inconvenient.

Will a claim in the civil courts give the man the three features he requires?

No, because civil hearings are public and the court, not the parties, controls the judge, the procedure and the timetable. Correct
No, because although civil hearings are held in private, the parties cannot select their judge or set their own timetable.
Yes, because the parties may agree their own procedure and timetable and depart from the Civil Procedure Rules by consent.
Yes, because the court will, on request, list a claim of this size before a judge with experience of the parties' industry.
Yes, because statements of case and judgments are confidential to the parties, so nothing said about his margins can be reported.

Why: The correct answer is A. Litigation is a public process conducted under rules the parties do not control. The general rule is that a hearing is to be in public (CPR 39.2), judgments are given publicly, and a non-party may generally obtain a copy of a statement of case (CPR 5.4C), so a competitor could learn what the man says about his margins. Procedure is governed by the Civil Procedure Rules, case management and listing belong to the court, and no party may select the judge. Public judgments also create precedent. Privacy, a chosen expert decision-maker and an agreed timetable are the characteristic advantages of arbitration, not of litigation. B is incorrect because it reaches the right conclusion for the wrong reason: civil hearings are held in public, and the court may sit in private only where that is necessary in the interests of justice. C is incorrect because the parties cannot contract out of the Civil Procedure Rules; only limited time limits may be varied by agreement, and never a hearing or trial date. D is incorrect because allocation and listing are matters for the court, although some specialist courts have judges experienced in particular fields. E is incorrect because statements of case and judgments are not confidential to the parties, which is exactly why litigation cannot deliver the confidentiality the man wants.

Two companies which have traded together for ten years disagree about how a clause in their distribution agreement should be read, and both want the relationship to continue. They agree to spend a day with a mediator before either issues a claim, and the mediator will ask each company to sign a mediation agreement before the day begins. A director of the supplier expects to make concessions about past deliveries in order to reach a deal.

What should the director be told about the concessions he expects to make at the mediation?

The mediator may take them into account in the decision he gives if the parties do not agree.
The mediator may direct that they be honoured if he considers the resulting terms reasonable.
The concessions cannot be referred to in later proceedings if the mediation ends without agreement. Correct
The concessions may be put to the company at trial as admissions if the mediation fails.
The concessions will bind the company once the mediation ends, whether or not any agreement is signed.

Why: The correct answer is C. Mediation is a facilitated negotiation: the mediator helps the parties towards their own settlement but decides nothing and can impose nothing. What is said and offered in the mediation is without prejudice, so if the day ends without agreement the director's concessions cannot be referred to in later proceedings and cannot be used as admissions (Cutts v Head [1984] Ch 290); the mediation agreement the companies sign will also bind them contractually to keep the process confidential. If they do settle, the written settlement agreement binds them as a contract. A is incorrect because a mediator gives no decision at all; only a judge or an arbitrator determines a dispute. B is incorrect because a mediator has no power to direct the parties to do anything, however reasonable the terms may appear. D is incorrect because the without prejudice rule is precisely what prevents concessions made in a mediation from being used as admissions at trial. E is incorrect because nothing explored in the room binds either company until a written settlement agreement is signed.

A woman and her brother each own half the shares in the family company they run together. They have fallen out over its future direction, and the woman wants to buy her brother's shares. They cannot agree on what the shares are worth, and each takes a different view of how the buy-out should be paid for and who should run the company afterwards. Both say they want to remain on speaking terms.

What advice should the woman be given about how to resolve the disagreement?

Litigation, because only the court can determine the fair value of shares in a private company.
Arbitration, because an arbitrator can fix the price of the shares and impose binding terms for the company's future management.
Mediation, because parties to a dispute within a family must attempt mediation before a claim may be issued.
Mediation, because the parties control the outcome and can agree payment and management terms a court could not order. Correct
Expert determination, because a valuer's decision on the price will bind the parties only if each accepts it.

Why: The correct answer is D. Mediation suits this dispute because the parties, not a third party, decide the outcome, and because a mediated settlement can go well beyond anything a court could order: a price, a payment timetable, security for instalments, undertakings about who manages the company, and terms on which the two continue to deal with each other. The process is confidential and without prejudice, and a collaborative process is far more likely than adversarial proceedings to leave the personal relationship intact. A is incorrect because a court can value shares, for example on an unfair prejudice petition under section 994 of the Companies Act 2006, so litigation is not the only route to a valuation; it is simply public, adversarial and confined to the relief claimed. B is incorrect because an arbitrator decides only what is referred and cannot design the parties' future arrangements, and the process is as adversarial as litigation. C is incorrect because it identifies the right mechanism for the wrong reason: no rule requires family members to mediate before issuing a claim. E is incorrect because an expert determination binds the parties as soon as it is issued if their agreement so provides, and it would fix the price alone, leaving the rest of the disagreement unresolved.

A shareholders' agreement provides that if the shareholders cannot agree the value of shares being transferred, the value is to be fixed by an independent accountant, whose determination is to be final and binding. A shareholder gives notice that she is selling her holding, and the others cannot agree what it is worth. The clause requires the accountant to value the holding on a going-concern basis, and he has done so. She would prefer a judge to decide the figure and asks whether the accountant's valuation will actually settle the matter.

Will the accountant's valuation bind the selling shareholder even if she disagrees with it?

No, because the valuation is a recommendation which each shareholder may accept or reject.
No, because a valuation of this kind takes effect only when the court has confirmed it.
Yes, because she agreed that the accountant would fix the value and that the figure would be final. Correct
Yes, because the valuation takes effect as an arbitration award under the Arbitration Act 1996.
No, because the value of shares in a private company can be fixed only by the court on a petition.

Why: The correct answer is C. Expert determination is a creature of contract: where the parties have agreed that a named professional shall decide a specific issue, most commonly a valuation, a rent review or a technical measurement, and that the decision shall be final and binding, the determination binds them contractually as soon as it is made. The selling shareholder is held to her own bargain, and her disagreement with the figure is not a ground for reopening it. Because this accountant valued the holding on the basis the clause required, he answered the question referred to him; a court would interfere only in narrow circumstances such as fraud or a material departure from his instructions (Jones v Sherwood Computer Services plc [1992] 1 WLR 277). A is incorrect because the clause makes the determination final and binding rather than advisory; a non-binding view of the merits is early neutral evaluation, not expert determination. B is incorrect because no confirmation by the court is needed: the determination takes effect under the contract itself. D is incorrect because an expert determination is not an arbitration, so the Arbitration Act 1996 and its appeal provisions do not apply to it. E is incorrect because, although a court can value shares, for instance on an unfair prejudice petition, these shareholders agreed on a different route and are bound by it.

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