How to Respond to a Simple Procedure Claim in Scotland

What Those Court Papers Actually Mean

A brown envelope arrives by recorded delivery or a sheriff officer hands you a bundle of forms. You have been served with a Simple Procedure claim in Scotland's Sheriff Court — a money dispute for up to £5,000.

The package usually contains Form 3A (the claim itself, setting out who is suing you and why), Form 6A (the Notice of Claim), Form 3D (the court timetable with your response deadline printed on it), and Form 4A (the blank response form you need to complete). A blank Form 5A (a time-to-pay application) is included only if time to pay is available for the claim.

Your first step is to check the Case Reference Number on the top right of Form 3A. If the papers look suspicious, phone the Sheriff Court clerk directly — find the number on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service website at scotcourts.gov.uk, not from the paperwork itself. The clerk can confirm whether the case is real. Calling does not pause your deadline.

Find Your Deadline on Form 3D

Form 3D is the document that matters most right now. It shows two dates: the last date for service (the claimant's deadline to deliver the papers to you) and the last date for a response (your deadline to get Form 4A back to the court).

The standard gap between service and your response deadline is 21 calendar days. That includes weekends. If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the deadline shifts to 17:00 on the next working day the court is open.

Write the exact date from your Form 3D on your calendar. Do not estimate it — the date on that form is the one that counts.

Your Four Response Options

Form 4A gives you four routes:

Option A — Dispute the claim. You deny all or part of what the claimant says. You fill in Section D explaining your side and attach your evidence. The Sheriff considers your response and may refer the case to alternative dispute resolution, arrange a Case Management Discussion or hearing, decide it without a hearing, or dismiss the claim.

Option B — Admit and pay. You accept the full amount and pay it directly to the claimant before the deadline.

Option C — Admit and request time to pay. You accept the debt but cannot pay immediately. You complete Form 5A alongside Form 4A, setting out your income, outgoings and a proposed instalment plan. Time-to-pay orders are only available to individuals, not companies.

Option D — Already settled. The dispute has been resolved directly with the claimant. You provide the details.

How to Submit Your Response

Most respondents must submit Form 4A through Civil Online at scotcourts.gov.uk. You register an account, enter the Case Reference Number and the Security PIN from your court letter, then upload your completed form. Civil Online's deadline is 23:59 on your response date. A saved draft does not count as a submission — you need the confirmation receipt.

If you have no internet access or digital capability, you can lodge Form 4A on paper at the Sheriff Court counter or by post. Attach a written note explaining why you cannot use Civil Online. The paper deadline is typically 16:00 or 17:00 on the response date.

If you file on paper, send a copy of Form 4A to the claimant using their chosen communication method. If you file online, Civil Online sends the copy only if the claimant indicated on Form 3A that they want to communicate through the portal; otherwise send it using the claimant's chosen post or email method by the deadline. Keep proof of sending.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

If you miss the deadline and the claimant files Form 7A within two weeks, the Sheriff can grant a decision in absence — a decree for some or all of the amount claimed, plus any expenses awarded. Once registered, the decree goes on Registry Trust's Register of Decrees, Scotland. The entry remains there for six years unless it is recalled or cancelled. If you pay in full within one calendar month of the decree date, you can apply to have the entry removed; after one month, it can be marked "Satisfied" but remains on the register for the rest of the six-year period.

If you realise you have missed the deadline but the claimant has not yet filed Form 7A, contact the Sheriff Clerk immediately and lodge your Form 4A. The Sheriff has discretion to accept a late response.

If a decree has already been granted, your remedy is a Form 13B recall application — but you only get one shot at that, and you need a real reason for the delay plus a completed Form 4A attached.

One Important Boundary

If the claim is from a bank, credit card company, debt buyer or collection agency, the procedure is different. Contact National Debtline Scotland (0808 808 4000) or your local Citizens Advice Bureau before doing anything — they provide free specialist debt advice. This guide covers contractual and commercial disputes between individuals and businesses, not consumer debt.

Responding to the claim costs nothing — there is no court fee to submit Form 4A. The most expensive thing you can do is ignore it.

Get the full step-by-step guide to responding — it walks through every form, every deadline and every hearing step from the moment the envelope arrives to the options after the Sheriff's decision.

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