Smash and Grab

A term used to describe a legal process where a payee claims the full amount set out in an application if the payer has failed to serve valid notice within the specified window. Despite originally being a niche legal strategy, it is gradually becoming more widely used throughout the UK legal system.
Smash and grab is especially relevant to the construction industry, largely due to the enormous sums of money often exchanged between payees and payers. If the construction work paid for is not completed within the agreed-upon time, it is likely that a smash and grab adjudication will take place.
Fundamentally, smash and grab is a form of dispute resolution that focuses on recovering monies owed under a contract. In construction cases, smash and grab adjudication is predominantly used to remedy a breach of contract or failure to complete a project within an allocated period. It is intended to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible. Hence the term ‘smash and grab’.