How to Sue a Company in Singapore: Small Claims Tribunals, Magistrate’s Court, District Court or High Court?

Short answer: To sue a company in Singapore, choose the forum by claim value and type: the Small Claims Tribunals for specified claims up to S$20,000 (S$30,000 by consent), the Magistrate’s Court up to S$60,000, the District Court up to S$250,000 and the High Court above that. Make a written settlement offer first, then file an originating claim.

If you are working out how to sue a company in Singapore, the first decision is where to file, because the forum fixes the procedure, the court fees, whether your company needs a lawyer and how much of your legal costs you can recover. This claimant’s guide covers each forum’s limit and legal basis, the steps before filing, how a claim is started and served, the official fees and the usual timeline.

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.

How to sue a company in Singapore: which court or tribunal hears your claim?

The amount you claim and the type of dispute decide the forum. The limits are set by the State Courts Act 1970 and the Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984.

Rules that shape the choice:

• The Magistrate’s Court cannot hear a claim where no sum of money is claimed, or an action in passing off (State Courts Act 1970, s 52(1A)). The District Court cannot hear passing off either (s 19(3)(ca)).
• You may abandon the excess above S$250,000 to sue in the District Court, but the judgment then fully discharges the claim, so the excess is lost (s 22).
• You cannot divide one cause of action into two or more actions to stay under a limit (s 35; Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984, s 8).
• The SCT does not hear motor accident property damage claims (Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984, s 5).
• Salary and wrongful dismissal disputes go to the Employment Claims Tribunals, after compulsory mediation at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

What must you do before you file a claim?

You must check the time limit and try to settle first. Rules of Court 2021, O 5 r 1(2) requires a party to make an offer of amicable resolution before starting an action unless it has reasonable grounds not to, and a refusal to attempt amicable resolution can be referred to when the court decides costs (O 5 r 3).

1. Confirm the correct defendant. Use the company’s exact registered name and UEN from an ACRA Bizfile business profile, and note its registered office address, which is where court papers are delivered.
2. Check the time limit. The Singapore Courts give these general periods from the event that creates the cause of action (the set of facts that entitles you to sue): contract and tort actions 6 years; personal injury 3 years; SCT claims 2 years. A lawyer should confirm when time started to run.
3. Have your board approve the claim and the appointment of solicitors.
4. Gather the contract, purchase orders, invoices, delivery records and statements of account.
5. Send a letter of demand that states the amount, the basis and a deadline.
6. Make a written offer of amicable resolution. Under O 5 r 2 the offer and any rejection must be in writing, and the offer must stay open for at least 14 days unless the parties agree otherwise.
7. Check the counterparty’s solvency. If it is already being wound up or restructured, a lawsuit may not be the practical route.

How do you start a claim in the Small Claims Tribunals?

An SCT claim is filed online through the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS) and served on the company within 7 days. No lawyer is involved.

1. Complete the pre-filing assessment in CJTS to confirm the claim is eligible.
2. File the claim form and pay the filing fee. A company claiming must upload its supporting documents, a Letter of Authorisation on company letterhead naming the officer or full-time employee who will represent it, and its own ACRA business profile obtained within 1 month of filing.
3. Upload the respondent company’s ACRA business profile (also obtained within 1 month) and, for a claim above S$20,000, the memorandum of consent signed by both parties.
4. Serve the claim and the Notice of Consultation on the respondent within 7 days of filing, by personal delivery at its office or by registered post to its ACRA registered address. An SCT claim cannot be served outside Singapore.
5. File a Declaration of Service in CJTS before the first consultation.

See the Singapore Courts’ page on how to file and serve a small claim, and for the consultation and hearing, our guide on whether a company can file in the Small Claims Tribunal.

What are the steps in a court claim against a company?

In the Magistrate’s Court, District Court and High Court, a claim with disputed facts must start with an originating claim (OC) (O 6 r 1(2)) and then follows the same core sequence. An originating application, supported by affidavit, is used instead only where a statute or the Rules require it or the case turns on a question of law with no facts in dispute (O 6 rr 1(3) and 11). Court proceedings are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor acting for your company.

1. File the OC (Form 8) and statement of claim through eLitigation. The OC is valid for service for 3 months from issue in Singapore, or 6 months out of Singapore (O 6 r 3(1)).
2. Take reasonable steps to serve the company within 14 days of issue (O 6 r 5(6)). For a body corporate the OC is delivered to the registered address (see how to serve court documents on a company). Validity can be extended, except in a special case only twice and by up to 3 months each time (O 6 r 3(4)).
3. The company files a notice of intention to contest or not contest within 14 days, and a defence within 21 days, after the statement of claim is served in Singapore (O 6 rr 6(1) and 7(1)).
4. If it does neither, you file a memorandum of service (Form 12) and apply for default judgment, with interest that the court may award at 5.33% a year (O 6 rr 6(6), 6(7) and 7(8)).
5. If the claim is defended, a case conference is held 8 weeks after the OC is issued (O 9 r 1). A summary judgment application under O 9 r 17 may shorten a case with no real defence.
6. In the Magistrate’s Court, the simplified O 65 process applies, and each pleading is served with a list and copies of the relevant documents. It applies in the District Court only if all parties consent (O 65 rr 1 and 2).
7. The case goes to trial and judgment, and costs are fixed or assessed.

How much does it cost to sue a company in Singapore?

Court fees are modest; legal fees are the main cost. The court generally orders costs in favour of the successful party (O 21 r 3(2)), but recovered costs rarely match your actual legal fees.

Service Bureau charges are payable on top, and later steps attract further fees under the Fourth Schedule of the Rules of Court 2021 (see the Singapore Courts page on filing and serving an originating claim).

Where a case ends without a trial, Appendix 1 to O 21 fixes the costs the winner can recover, excluding disbursements:

Assumptions: these are recoverable costs, not what a solicitor charges, and do not apply to defended trials. Your own legal fees depend on how hard the company fights, the documents, the witnesses and any interim applications.

If you sue in the High Court and recover no more than S$250,000, you are generally limited to District Court costs, or Magistrate’s Court costs if you recover no more than S$60,000, unless the court is satisfied there was sufficient reason to sue there (State Courts Act 1970, s 39). If you lose, you will usually pay the company’s costs as well.

How long does a claim against a company take?

An undefended claim can reach judgment within weeks of service; a defended one takes months or longer. The Singapore Courts say most SCT cases conclude within 4 months of filing.

What happens after judgment if the company still does not pay?

You apply to enforce the judgment. Under O 22 r 2, an enforcement order can authorise the Sheriff to seize and sell the company’s property or to attach a debt owed to it, including money it holds on deposit with a bank.

• Seizure and sale of property, which includes cash, shares and other securities.
• Attachment of debts owed to the company, including bank deposits.
• Examination about its assets; for a company, the order names the officers to be examined (O 22 r 11).
• Winding up, where the unpaid judgment shows the company cannot pay its debts.

An application for an enforcement order may be made no earlier than 3 days after the court order has been served (O 22 r 2(3)). See our guides on enforcing a court judgment against a Singapore company and, if the outcome is challenged, appealing a District Court judgment. A creditor does not lodge a money judgment with ACRA; ACRA filings follow only if the company is later wound up.

What does your corporate secretary prepare and what does the solicitor file?

Court proceedings are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor. Your corporate secretary or corporate service provider (CSP) supports the claim with records and approvals.

For a court claim, speak to a lawyer early. If your company is on the receiving end instead, read our first-steps guide for a company that has been sued.

What are the common mistakes when suing a company?

Most avoidable losses come from the wrong defendant, the wrong forum or delay.

• Naming a brand or a related company instead of the contracting entity shown on the invoices and in ACRA records.
• Filing in the High Court for a claim worth less than S$250,000 and recovering only State Courts costs.
• Skipping the written offer of amicable resolution, which can count against you on costs.
• Missing the 2-year SCT window or the 6-year limit for contract claims.
• Suing a company that is insolvent without first checking for winding-up or judicial management proceedings.

Frequently asked questions

Can a company sue another company without a lawyer in Singapore?

In the SCT, yes: lawyers are not allowed, and a director, officer or full-time employee presents the company’s case with a Letter of Authorisation. In the Magistrate’s Court, District Court and High Court a company must generally be represented by lawyers, unless the court grants an application allowing an officer, such as a director or secretary, to act for it.

What is the cheapest way to sue a company in Singapore?

For an eligible claim up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 with the other side’s signed consent, the SCT is the cheapest forum: a company pays from S$50 to file, and there are no lawyer’s fees. Above that, the Magistrate’s Court simplified process keeps costs proportionate for money claims up to S$60,000.

Can I sue a foreign company in Singapore?

Often, yes, but service outside Singapore may need the court’s approval, and the OC is then valid for 6 months. The foreign company has 21 days to file its notice of intention to contest and 5 weeks to file a defence. An SCT claim cannot be served abroad.

Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.