Escrow is the reason you can hire someone you have never met.
The principle
Your money leaves your account when you fund a milestone, but does not reach the expert until you approve the work. In between, Researchor holds it.
Why both sides need it
Without escrow, one side always goes first and carries all the risk. Pay up front and you may get nothing. Work up front and you may not be paid. Escrow removes the question: the client knows the money is safe, and the expert knows it exists.
Who controls the money
While a milestone is funded but unapproved, neither party can take it unilaterally. It releases on your approval, on auto-release at the end of the review window, or on a dispute decision.
Raising a dispute freezes it. Nothing moves in either direction until the dispute is resolved.
What escrow does not do
Escrow does not judge quality. It holds money against a decision you make. If a deliverable is wrong, escrow is what gives you leverage to get it fixed, but you still have to review the work and say so.
Funds held in escrow are not Researchor's money and are not used for our operating expenses.
Status: this part of Researchor is built in the interface but is not yet connected to live systems. The steps below describe how it will work. We will update this article when it goes live.