Small claims glossary: every term defined

Small claims procedure is built around a small number of forms and a smaller number of legal concepts. Most of the difficulty for a litigant in person comes not from the substance of the law but from unfamiliar terminology. Once you know what a Directions Questionnaire is, what "without prejudice" means, and how the Pre-Action Protocols fit together, the system becomes navigable.

Small claims glossary: every term defined

Why the jargon matters

This glossary collects the terms you are most likely to encounter, defined in plain English, with the relevant statutory or procedural source identified so you can dig deeper if needed.

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