When a dispute can't be settled, it ends up in court — and almost everything a solicitor does to run that claim is governed by the Civil Procedure Rules. Knowing the procedure isn't optional detail: deadlines, the right track and the right form of judgment can decide a case before the merits are ever argued. This lesson follows a civil claim from the first pre-action letter through to the final costs order, so you can see how the whole process fits together and what is required of you at each turn.
What this lesson covers:
- The Nature and Forum of Civil Litigation — what litigation is, how it differs from mediation and arbitration, and which court hears a claim.
- The Overriding Objective — the principle that steers every rule and the duties it places on the parties.
- Pre-Action Conduct and Commencing Proceedings — what must happen before issue, and how to start a claim under Part 7 or Part 8.
- The Defendant's Response — the options open to a defendant and the deadlines that bind them.
- Track Allocation — the four tracks and how a case is assigned to one.
- Early Disposal and Sanctions — summary judgment, strike out, default judgment and relief from sanctions.
- Proof and Privilege — the standard and burden of proof, and the without prejudice rule.
- Remedies — damages measures, injunctions and specific performance.
- Costs — who pays, on what basis, and how conduct shifts the answer.