What is an adjudication under the Construction Contracts Act?

The Construction Contracts Act 2002 provides a fast payment and dispute mechanism. If you make a payment claim that meets the Act's requirements and the payer does not respond with a valid payment schedule by the deadline, they can become liable for the full amount claimed. If the payer disputes the claim, either party can refer the dispute to adjudication, in which an independent adjudicator decides the dispute within a short timeframe, generally about 20 working days after the response. The determination is binding on an interim basis and can be enforced as a judgment by the District Court, even if the dispute goes to court or arbitration later. Follow the notice requirements strictly, so ask a lawyer to check your payment claim.