What it is
A request asking the court to enforce an arbitration agreement and send the dispute to arbitration instead of ordinary court litigation. It often asks the court to stay or dismiss the lawsuit while arbitration proceeds.
Dispositive (resolves the case)
Motion to Compel Arbitration
Asks the court to enforce an arbitration agreement and move the dispute out of court.
When it's used
Filed early when a contract contains an arbitration clause covering the dispute. Common in employment, consumer, franchise, financial services, platform, and commercial cases.
What the other side does
The opponent challenges contract formation, scope, unconscionability, waiver, delegation clauses, public-injunction rules, or whether the party seeking arbitration can enforce the agreement.
Common outcomes
The court may compel arbitration, deny arbitration, stay the case, dismiss claims, or send threshold arbitrability questions to the arbitrator if the contract delegates them.
Not legal advice. Motion practice varies by court,
judge, and case type. Local rules and standing orders frequently
modify the federal defaults shown here. If you're facing a motion
or considering filing one, talk to a lawyer about strategy and
timing for your specific case.