Study: Utah online dispute resolution system has major design flaws

An evaluation of Utah's ODR platform usability by the Innovation for Justice program at the University of Arizona concluded it had major design problems, with most users reporting 'frustration on account of their inability to easily find information about ODR, including guidance about how it worked, whether participation was mandatory, and how to contact someone for more assistance.' According to report, statistics show that only about 36 percent of defendants in small claims cases actually log into the system, and those that do frequently require technical support. At the same time, the researchers found that participants in the study were receptive to the idea of an online platform for handling small claims cases. The authors recommended that Utah streamline its registration process, make document sharing easier, and provide more guidance to users trying to navigate the system in order to make the ODR program more accessible to Utahans facing small claims suits. System 🤖 Utah online dispute resolution Operator: West Valley City Justice Court; Orem City Justice Court Developer: Utah Administrative Office of the Courts Country: USA Sector: Govt - justice Purpose: Resolve disputes Technology: Issue: Fairness Investigations, assessments, audits 🧐 Innovation for Justice, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (2020). The Utah Online Dispute Resolution Platform: A Usability Evaluation and Report (pdf)

Date it happened

2020-11-01

Organisation involved

West Valley City Justice Court; Orem City Justice Court

Product, system or model

Utah Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.