§ 1857 Agreement.

If two parties have a written agreement to settle disputes through arbitration instead of going to court, that agreement is generally binding. Courts will enforce it and neither side can back out, unless there's a legal reason the contract itself would be invalid, like fraud or lack of capacity to sign it.

If there's a disagreement about whether an arbitration agreement actually exists, or whether a specific dispute falls under that agreement, a judge decides that question. But once it's clear a valid arbitration agreement exists, the arbitrator handles other questions, like whether certain steps required before arbitration were actually completed, or whether the overall contract is enforceable.

If someone challenges the arbitration agreement in court while arbitration is already happening, the arbitration doesn't have to stop and wait. It can keep moving forward while the court sorts out the legal question, unless a judge specifically orders the arbitration to pause.