Magistrate’s Court Claim in Singapore: The Simplified Process for Unpaid Business Debts up to S$60,000

Short answer: A Singapore company owed S$60,000 or less sues in the Magistrate’s Court, where every originating claim runs under the simplified process in Order 65 of the Rules of Court 2021. Documents are served with the pleadings, summary judgment is not available, the court manages the case at case conferences and any trial is time-limited.

A Magistrate’s Court claim in Singapore is the usual court route for an unpaid invoice, an unrefunded deposit or a withheld retention sum of up to S$60,000. This guide follows an SME creditor through the simplified civil process from the pre-action letter to enforcement, and sets out what the law firm will ask your company for. If you have not yet decided which court or tribunal fits your dispute, read our overview of how to sue a company in Singapore first; this article goes deeper into what happens once the Magistrate’s Court is the right forum.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What is the Magistrate’s Court simplified process?

It is a lighter version of civil procedure that applies automatically to every originating claim in the Magistrate’s Court. It front-loads the evidence, removes several interim applications and puts the judge in charge of the timetable.

An originating claim is the document that starts a civil action under the Rules of Court 2021. Under Order 65, Rule 1(3), all the other Orders still apply unless Order 65 says otherwise. Four features shape a creditor’s case:

1. Upfront production of documents with the pleadings.
2. No summary judgment, question-of-law or Order 11 production applications.
3. Court-led case conferences on settlement and court alternative dispute resolution (ADR), under Practice Direction 36 of the State Courts Practice Directions 2021.
4. A simplified trial with fixed time limits, unless the court orders a full trial.

Which law sets the Magistrate’s Court limit and the simplified process?

The jurisdiction comes from the State Courts Act 1970 and the procedure from Order 65 of the Rules of Court 2021, supplemented by Practice Direction 36.

Order 65 can also apply in the District Court, but only where the parties consent. For District Court originating claims filed from 1 December 2023, Practice Direction 36(1A) requires parties who do not want Order 65 to say so when filing the claim or the notice of intention to contest; otherwise they must file the consent.

Who can bring a Magistrate’s Court claim, and when?

Any company owed a sum of money of up to S$60,000 can sue in the Magistrate’s Court, provided the claim is filed within the limitation period and the company has first made an offer of amicable resolution.

• Value. Count the principal and any other relief claimed. A debt above S$60,000 belongs in the District Court.
• Time. Under section 6(1)(a) of the Limitation Act 1959, an action founded on a contract must be brought within 6 years from the date the cause of action accrued.
• Pre-action offer. Order 5, Rule 1(2) requires a party to make an offer of amicable resolution before starting the action unless it has reasonable grounds not to. Under Order 5, Rule 2 the offer must be in writing and stay open for at least 14 days unless the parties agree otherwise.

The pre-action letter matters for costs. Order 21, Rule 2(2) lists the parties’ efforts at amicable resolution first among the matters the court weighs when fixing costs, and Order 21, Rule 4(c) allows the court to reduce or disallow a winning party’s costs if it did not discharge its Order 5 duty. Our guide to the letter of demand in Singapore covers how to write one.

How does a Magistrate’s Court claim in Singapore run, step by step?

The claim is filed through eLitigation, served on the debtor company, and then either ends in a default judgment or moves into civil simplified case conferences. Court proceedings are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor acting for your company.

1. Send the written offer of amicable resolution and give it at least 14 days.
2. Prepare the originating claim (Form 8 of Appendix A2 to the State Courts Practice Directions 2021), the statement of claim and the list of documents, with copies of every listed document.
3. File through eLitigation. Once the court accepts it, the sealed originating claim is available through eLitigation.
4. Serve the debtor company. Reasonable steps to serve in Singapore must be taken within 14 days after issue (Order 6, Rule 5(6)), and the claim is valid for service for 3 months (Order 6, Rule 3(1)(b)).
5. Wait for the response. A company served in Singapore has 14 days after service of the statement of claim to file a notice of intention to contest or not contest (Order 6, Rule 6(1)) and 21 days to file its defence (Order 6, Rule 7(1)). If it misses either deadline, your solicitor can apply for default judgment, explained in our guide to default judgment against a debtor company.
6. If a defence is filed, the court issues a Civil Simplified CC Notice and, subject to its discretion, fixes the first civil simplified case conference around 7 weeks from the date the defence was filed (Practice Direction 36(3)).
7. Seven days before that conference, exchange written settlement proposals in Form 4 on a “without prejudice save as to costs” basis, and file Form 5 (issues and witnesses), the Court ADR Form (Form 6) and the checklist sent with the notice (Practice Direction 36(4)).
8. Attend the case conference. The court may narrow the issues, encourage settlement or court ADR, give directions for a Single Application Pending Trial or discovery, and fix timelines (Practice Direction 36(6)).
9. If the dispute is not resolved, the court directs the case to be set down for trial and fixes a pre-trial case conference (Practice Direction 36(12)).

How is the claim served on a company at its registered office?

An originating claim must be served personally (Order 6, Rule 4). Personal service on an entity is effected by leaving a copy with its chairperson, president, secretary, treasurer or other officer (Order 7, Rule 2(1)(b)), or according to any written law (Order 7, Rule 2(1)(c)). Section 387 of the Companies Act 1967 allows a document to be served on a company by leaving it at, or sending it by registered post to, its registered office. That is why the solicitor will want the debtor’s latest ACRA business profile before filing. If personal service proves impractical, the solicitor can apply for substituted service under Order 7, Rule 7.

What does the simplified process change for a creditor?

It removes the fast exit of summary judgment and makes your paperwork your case from day one. In exchange, the court keeps the case moving and the trial short.

In choosing the mode of trial, the court may consider the number of parties, complexity, the amounts claimed and proportionality of costs (Order 65, Rule 4(2)), and it can extend the time limits (Rule 4(4)).

What documents does the panel law firm need from your company?

Because of upfront production, the documents you hand over at the start effectively become your evidence. Order 11, Rule 2(1) defines the core categories: documents you will rely on and known adverse documents.

How long does a Magistrate’s Court claim take, and what does it cost?

An undefended claim can reach default judgment within weeks of service. A defended claim usually reaches its first case conference roughly 10 weeks after the statement of claim is served (21 days for the defence, then around 7 weeks), and the rest depends on settlement, court ADR and the court’s calendar. No official source publishes an average end-to-end duration, so treat any estimate as an assumption.

Court fees come from the Singapore Courts’ guide to filing and serving an originating claim under the simplified civil process. Under Order 21, Rule 3(2) the court generally orders costs in favour of the successful party, but the recovered amount is often lower than your actual legal bill. Ask the law firm for a staged estimate before filing.

What does the company secretary prepare, and what does the solicitor file?

Your company secretary or corporate service provider prepares the corporate and financial records; the Singapore Advocate and Solicitor gives the legal advice, files every court document and appears in court.

Raffles Corporate Services does not give legal advice or act in court; a law firm from our panel runs the proceedings. To test the merits first, speak to a lawyer before the final demand goes out.

What happens after judgment is entered?

If the debtor company pays, the matter ends. If it does not, your solicitor applies to enforce the judgment, for example by seizure and sale of property or attachment of debts owed to the company, covered in our guide to enforcing a court judgment against a Singapore company. For an enforcement application in a Magistrate’s Court action, Order 21, Appendix 1, Part 4 allows the enforcing creditor costs of S$1,000, plus Sheriff’s charges and reasonable disbursements.

A creditor’s money judgment does not need to be lodged with ACRA, but it does affect your books. File the judgment and costs order with the debtor’s ledger, review at year end whether the receivable needs a provision or write-off, and if you are GST-registered, check whether GST bad debt relief applies. Our free compliance tools help with the year-end tax numbers.

What are the common mistakes in a Magistrate’s Court claim?

Most problems come from going in under-prepared.

• Suing the wrong entity. Match the UEN on your invoices against the debtor’s ACRA profile.
• Skipping the written offer of amicable resolution, or giving less than 14 days, which can cost you part of your costs.
• Planning around summary judgment, which Order 65 excludes.
• Producing documents late, so that Order 65, Rule 2(4) stops you relying on them.
• Splitting one debt into two claims to stay under S$60,000, which section 35 of the State Courts Act 1970 prohibits.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim more than S$60,000 in the Magistrate’s Court?

No. Section 52(1A) of the State Courts Act 1970 excludes actions where the amount claimed, or the value of other relief sought, exceeds the S$60,000 limit. Larger debts up to S$250,000 go to the District Court.

Does my company need a lawyer for a Magistrate’s Court claim?

Generally yes. A company must be represented by lawyers unless the court grants permission, on a summons with a supporting affidavit, for a director, secretary or executive employee to act for it.

Can a District Court claim use the simplified process?

Yes, but only where all parties consent to Order 65 applying (Order 65, Rule 1(2)). In the Magistrate’s Court it applies automatically.

What costs can we recover if the debtor ignores the claim?

Order 21, Appendix 1 fixes costs of S$1,000, excluding disbursements, on a final default judgment in the Magistrate’s Court, unless the court orders otherwise. Your actual legal fees may be higher.

Last reviewed: 3 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.