Arizona’s Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (A.R.S. § 12-3001) governs arbitration proceedings. Arbitration is intended to be quicker and less expensive than litigation. One of the reasons for this is that, unlike a court proceeding, there is no right to appeal an adverse arbitration award to a higher Court.

Instead, ARS §12-3023 provides a procedure for seeking relief from an arbitration award by a motion to the court setting forth any of the grounds for relief listed in the statute. But the right to challenge an arbitration award can be lost.

A.R.S. § 12-3023(B), requires a party to move to vacate an arbitration award within 90 days after receiving notice of the award. A recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP v. Mayne, 1 CA-CV 24-0706, 11/19/25, confirmed that this 90-day deadline is jurisdictional.

The failure to file within the 90-day window, even by as little as one day, deprives the Court of Jurisdiction to vacate the award. And Rule 60, a rule that provides pathways to seek relief from court orders, including defaults, cannot be used to obtain relief. This result can be exceedingly harsh. It is one factor to consider when determining to arbitrate or, where possible, opt out of arbitration and litigate your dispute.

If you are interested in discussing a new or existing mediation, arbitration, or civil litigation case, contact our office by calling 602-277-4441 or visit www.plattwestby.com to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.