Writ Of Summons Singapore
Published on 8th January, 2019 by Benjamin Li Yong Le
A Writ of Summons ("Writ") is a Court document that basically means "I am suing you".
By not entering an appearance the Defendant admits all the allegations in the Statement of Claim.
Cribb v Freyberger
A Writ of Summons ("Writ") is a Court document that basically means "I am suing you".
Usually, a Statement of Claim is stapled together with the Writ setting out the important facts that the person suing you ("Plaintiff") is relying on in his case against you.
Under the Rules of Court a Writ has to be personally handed to you. After two failed attempts, the Plaintiff will then have to obtain a court order to serve you the Writ by another method, usually by pasting on your front door or by post.
When you receive a Writ, you have two options - (1) to pay / satisfy the claim; or (2) enter an appearance within eight (8) days. Do not ignore the Writ because the Plaintiff will automatically win if you ignore it.
Entering an appearance means you want to fight with the Plaintiff because you believe that you are not liable to pay / satisfy the Plaintiff's claim.
If you wish to contest the claim, you should seek legal advice from a lawyer on the avenues available to you.
If you cannot afford a lawyer but do not qualify for legal aid because you do not fulfil the eligibility criteria, you have the option of defending the claim by yourself - this is called self-representation.
If you decide to self-represent because of cost issues, you should read the book Bullen & Leake and Jacobs on how to draft a defence and also familiarise yourself with the Rules of Court.
