What triggers Stage 1 - Negotiation in a dispute resolution process?

Stage 1 - Negotiation in a dispute resolution process is triggered by Joining a Case. This phase is crucial because it marks the point at which involved parties formally acknowledge their participation in the dispute resolution procedure. When parties join a case, they begin the engagement with the intent to resolve the issues at hand through negotiation.

This stage emphasizes communication and collaboration, aiming to reach a mutually agreeable solution before moving on to more formalized steps in the dispute resolution process. It provides an opportunity for the parties to express their concerns, negotiate terms, and potentially settle the dispute without the need for a more adversarial or structured process, such as mediation or arbitration.

The other choices represent different stages or aspects of the dispute resolution process but do not specifically initiate the negotiation phase. For example, Initial Filing refers to the submission of documents to commence a formal dispute, Review of Complaints involves examining the issues raised but does not initiate negotiations, and Formal Agreement represents the conclusion of a successful negotiation or resolution, rather than its initiation. Thus, the act of joining a case is pivotal in starting the negotiation stage in dispute resolution.