FINRA Accelerates Arbitration Timelines for Eligible Parties

FINRA adopted amendments to the Code of Arbitration Procedure to accelerate proceedings for parties involved in disputes who qualify based on their age or health condition.

FINRA amended the Code, adding new Rules 12808 and 13808 ("Accelerated Processing"), to establish strict eligibility requirements and shortened case-processing deadlines for qualifying parties. Under the new framework, parties may request accelerated processing if they are at least 70 years old or if they certify that they have a medical condition necessitating speed to prevent prejudice. Previously, FINRA offered a program to expedite cases for seniors or seriously ill parties, but it did not mandate shortened deadlines or provide specific timing guidance to arbitrators. 

Under the new rules, the Director of Dispute Resolution Services will make an objective determination regarding eligibility based on age or the submission of the required health certification. Once a case is designated for accelerated processing, the Director would send a list of arbitrators "as soon as practicable" rather than in 30 days and set a goal for panels to render awards within 10 months. Additionally, the rules shorten various deadlines for parties, including reducing the time to serve answers and respond to discovery requests from the standard timeframes to 30 or 35 days. 

The amendments are effective for arbitration cases filed on or after March 30, 2026.