Pioneering the Future of Digital Dispute Resolution: TalkTerms Applauds New Legal Tech Collaboration

A groundbreaking collaboration between The Centre for Legal Technology (CLT) at Ulster University and The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) is setting a new standard for digital dispute resolution. This new partnership brings together academic insight, practical expertise, and forward-thinking innovation—all aimed at reducing the friction, cost, and complexity of resolving disputes online.

A Timely Innovation for a Digital World

At TalkTerms, we believe that dispute resolution should be as modern, efficient, and user-friendly as the world we live in. This new partnership echoes our core belief: that accessible, technology-driven processes can transform how individuals and businesses resolve conflicts.

With the digital economy booming, the traditional legal system often struggles to keep pace. From SMEs navigating commercial disagreements to consumers caught in online transaction issues, there’s a clear demand for faster, fairer, and more flexible resolution tools. This collaboration directly addresses that need.

The LRA is currently dealing with a backlog of over 250,000 registered cases and an expected 30,000 claimants, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and scalable technological solutions. This pilot collaboration seeks to tackle these challenges by harnessing technology to enhance efficiency, shorten processing times, and optimize overall system performance.

Mark McAllister, Chief Executive of the LRA, said:

“The sheer scale of the miscalculated holiday pay claims means we must rethink our approach to case management. By working with Ulster University and TalkTerms, we are building the capabilities needed to deliver our services more effectively and sustainably into the future.”

Why This Matters

The joint initiative aims to develop new models and systems that leverage cutting-edge digital platforms—something that resonates strongly with our mission at TalkTerms. It’s about creating solutions that are:

• Accessible: Reducing barriers for users who lack legal knowledge or resources.
• Efficient: Streamlining resolution without lengthy court delays.
• Scalable: Offering solutions that can grow with the increasing volume of digital disputes.

The Centre for Legal Technology’s research-led approach, combined with TalkTerms practical expertise, represents an ideal marriage of academic theory and real-world impact.
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John Keers BL, Director of the Centre for Legal Technology at Ulster University commented:

“This partnership highlights how academic expertise, public sector leadership, and entrepreneurial agility can come together to deliver real societal impact. We are passionate about solving complex challenges through innovation, and this project is a significant step towards transforming digital dispute resolution.”

For the Labour Relations Agency, this pilot partnership represents a critical opportunity to enhance long-term operational resilience.

Looking Ahead

At TalkTerms, we’re particularly enthusiastic about the emphasis on co-design with end-users—a value we hold dear. Technology should serve people, not the other way around. With stakeholders including legal professionals, technologists, businesses, and the public feeding into the development process, this initiative promises to deliver tools that are not only legally robust but genuinely usable.

As these efforts gain momentum, we see exciting opportunities for integration, interoperability, and shared standards in the digital dispute resolution space. It’s a future where platforms like TalkTerms and academic institutions can learn from each other, collaborate, and help shape a smarter, fairer legal ecosystem.

Gary Lyons, CEO of TalkTerms, expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating:

“We are honoured to partner with The Centre for Legal Technology at Ulster University and The LRA to showcase how our platform can revolutionise dispute resolution. This initiative allows us to scale our technology responsibly, ensuring it not only meets business needs but also contributes to the greater good by streamlining access to justice, enhancing public sector services and in using our “Swift Care” platform to harness technology for meaningful societal impact.”

Final Thoughts

This initiative isn’t just good news for Northern Ireland—it’s a beacon for the global legal tech community. As we continue to evolve our own tools and processes at TalkTerms, we’re watching closely—and cheering loudly—for projects like this that are pushing boundaries and putting people first.

Stay tuned. The future of dispute resolution is digital, and it’s already being written.