Set against a backdrop of lengthening delays to bring matters to trial, the government is under pressure to reimagine the civil justice process. While digitalisation of the civil justice system will take time, expect to see an increasing emphasis in the use of alternative dispute resolution as parties seek to find quicker, lower cost, non-judicial ways to settle their claims. The system of compulsory mediation in small money claims may still be in its infancy but it is expected that the ambit of the scheme will be expanded to other categories of small claim, and potentially beyond. The work of the Civil Justice Council around Digital Pre-Action Protocols and the recent Court of Appeal decision in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council are both suggestive of a direction of travel which promotes a trial before a judge as very much the last resort.