> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rubicourt.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Open a dispute

> Emails the buyer and seller a link to give their side. The decision follows when both are done, when the evidence window ends, or when you call /decide.



## OpenAPI

````yaml /api-reference/openapi.json post /v1/disputes
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Rubicourt API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    Two services. Resolve (/v1/policy, /v1/disputes): your platform's own
    dispute decisions, made by AI under your written policy, with your staff
    reviewing the cases the policy routes to them; binding only inside your
    platform. Arbitration (/v1/cases): binding small-claims arbitration, where a
    licensed attorney arbitrator decides every case and signs every award, with
    one appeal to a different arbitrator. A Resolve dispute can escalate to
    arbitration when your policy enables it. Authenticate with your platform API
    key as a bearer token. Rubicourt is a private arbitration provider, not a
    government court.
  contact:
    email: hello@rubicourt.com
servers:
  - url: https://api.rubicourt.com
security:
  - apiKey: []
tags:
  - name: Resolve
    description: >-
      Your platform's own dispute decisions, made by AI under your written
      policy.
  - name: Arbitration
    description: >-
      Binding small-claims arbitration decided by a licensed attorney
      arbitrator.
  - name: Webhooks
    description: Signed events Rubicourt sends to your webhook URL.
paths:
  /v1/disputes:
    post:
      tags:
        - Resolve
      summary: Open a dispute
      description: >-
        Emails the buyer and seller a link to give their side. The decision
        follows when both are done, when the evidence window ends, or when you
        call /decide.
      operationId: openDispute
      parameters:
        - name: Idempotency-Key
          in: header
          required: false
          description: >-
            Retry safely: a repeat with the same key and body returns the first
            response. The same key with a different body returns 422.
          schema:
            type: string
            maxLength: 255
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required:
                - category
                - amount_cents
                - opened_by
                - reason
                - buyer
                - seller
              properties:
                external_reference:
                  type: string
                category:
                  type: string
                amount_cents:
                  type: integer
                currency:
                  type: string
                  const: USD
                opened_by:
                  type: string
                  enum:
                    - buyer
                    - seller
                reason:
                  type: string
                buyer:
                  type: object
                  required:
                    - name
                    - email
                    - type
                  properties:
                    name:
                      type: string
                    email:
                      type: string
                      format: email
                    type:
                      type: string
                      enum:
                        - person
                        - business
                    ref:
                      type: string
                      description: Your user id.
                seller:
                  type: object
                  required:
                    - name
                    - email
                    - type
                  properties:
                    name:
                      type: string
                    email:
                      type: string
                      format: email
                    type:
                      type: string
                      enum:
                        - person
                        - business
                    ref:
                      type: string
                      description: Your user id.
                transaction:
                  type: object
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Opened.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Dispute'
        '400':
          description: The request is malformed or a field is invalid.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '401':
          description: Missing or invalid API key.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '404':
          description: No such case for this platform.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
        '409':
          description: No policy published yet.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
components:
  schemas:
    Dispute:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
        reference:
          type: string
        external_reference:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - open
            - deciding
            - needs_review
            - decided
            - awaiting_agreement
            - escalated
            - closed
            - withdrawn
        category:
          type: string
        amount_cents:
          type: integer
        currency:
          type: string
        opened_by:
          type: string
        policy_version:
          type: integer
        evidence_due_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        review_due_at:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
          format: date-time
        submissions:
          type: integer
        parties:
          type: array
          items:
            type: object
        decision:
          type:
            - object
            - 'null'
          description: >-
            Outcome (refund_full, refund_partial, no_refund), refund_cents,
            return_required, reasons, citations, confidence, decided_by (ai or
            platform), reviewer.
        arbitration_case_id:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
    Error:
      type: object
      required:
        - error
      properties:
        error:
          type: object
          required:
            - code
            - message
          properties:
            code:
              type: string
            message:
              type: string
            details: {}
  securitySchemes:
    apiKey:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      description: Your platform API key.

````

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