Small claims courts are part of the County Court and their purpose is to provide a simple and inexpensive way for small civil cases to be brought to court without the litigant incurring large legal bills which might well exceed the amount being claimed.

The paries involved present their case personally before a judge and the normal County Court procedures are simplified and streamlined to facilitate a speedy resolution of the dispute.

The limit for cases brought in the Small Claims Court has risen over the years and now stands at £5,000. It is used most often for matters such as debts, goods not supplied, faulty goods/poor workmanship or landlord and tenant disputes.

This court procedure can also be used to bring claims for damages/compensation following personal injury but because of the potential complexity of these claims the £5,000 limit is lowered. The Small Claims Court can only be used where the amount of compensation is not expected to exceed £1,000 which means that only relatively minor injuries could be dealt with.

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