Referral notice

The referring party’s case and evidence in an adjudication; if you are responding, check the timetable you receive and seek prompt advice.

by Jack Butler-Kettle · About 3 min readShare

Further detail

Read this alongside paragraph 7 of Part I of the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998.

The referral presents the referring party's case, remedy and evidence in an adjudication. It should be consistent with the dispute identified in the notice of adjudication. A respondent needs to understand the actual directions and timetable rather than assume a standard response period from general guidance.

Organise documents against the issues and obtain prompt procedural advice. Claim assessment and response can support the underlying response within an agreed scope; formal representation requires confirmation.

Sources

Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998, SI 1998/649, Schedule, Part I, para 7 (Referral of the dispute). legislation.gov.uk.

Formal communication preparation pack

Use these original fictional preparation records to organise the evidence and obtain advice on the actual procedure. They are not universal notices to serve.

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Free blank template for your own project. The completed example is shown below. No email address required.

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Completed fictional example

Westhaven refurbishment · 14 October 2026 · Version 1.0

Dispute notice preparation

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Dispute notice preparation: completed fictional example
Field	Completed fictional record
Parties and contract	Westhaven Interiors and Alder Mere Projects; order WH-042
Dispute	£2,000 September assessment difference, rejected in response C-11
Relief sought	Payment of the substantiated balance; interest basis to be checked
Documents	APP-09, PN-09, C-09 and C-11; bank record B-17
Procedure	Identify applicable adjudication terms, nominating route and service requirements before issuing

Suspension review

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Suspension review: completed fictional example
Check	Completed fictional record
Payment position	£2,000 assessed balance unpaid; application difference tracked separately
Prerequisites	Payment obligation, final date and any pay less notice to be reviewed
Proposed action	No suspension date authorised; review notice period and service first
Operational plan	Record affected work, safe handover and restart implications

Termination review

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Termination review: completed fictional example
Check	Completed fictional record
Alleged ground	Repeated access obstruction alleged; contract ground not yet established
Sequence	Review breach notice, remedy opportunity and termination steps separately
Authority	Decision and wording require authorised review before any notice
Evidence / account	Preserve correspondence, programme, work/property inventory and payment account

These preparation examples deliberately stop before a legal act. The applicable contract, governing law and facts determine the required content, procedure and consequences.

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