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2. Simple procedure
This section covers simple procedure money claims in the sheriff court. The Act of Sederunt (Simple Procedure) 2016 (‘the Simple Procedure Rules’) provides the rules of court, forms and a set of standard orders.
Simple procedure replaced small claims actions in November 2016. It is used for money claims of £5,000 and less. It is designed to be quicker, cheaper and easier to follow for those raising an action or defending an action against them. There are rules for each step in the process and corresponding forms. It is raised in the sheriff court when a claim is made against a party known as a ‘respondent’. Decisions are made by a sheriff or a summary sheriff. Solicitors are not required under simple procedure but can be used.