Owed Money in Singapore? You Have Two Years — and You Cannot Bring a Lawyer
Applies in Singapore
The Small Claims Tribunals are the cheapest way to recover a debt in Singapore, and the two things most people do not know about them are both hard rules. Lawyers are not allowed to represent you before a Registrar or Tribunal Magistrate. And every claim must be filed within two years of the date the cause of action accrued — miss it and the Tribunal cannot take the case at all. The ceiling is S$20,000, or S$30,000 if the other side signs a Memorandum of Consent. Filing a S$5,000 claim as an individual costs S$10.
First question: how much are you owed?
In Singapore the amount decides the forum, and the forum decides almost everything else — what it costs, how fast it moves, and whether you are allowed to hire anyone to do it for you.
- Up to S$20,000Small Claims Tribunals — no lawyers, filing from S$10
The default route for consumer, service and short-tenancy disputes.
- S$20,001 – S$30,000Small Claims Tribunals, but only with a Memorandum of Consent
Both sides must agree in the prescribed form. Without it the Tribunal has no jurisdiction.
- Above S$30,000Magistrates' or District Court — lawyers permitted, costs follow
You cannot split one claim into several to squeeze under the ceiling.
That last line is worth repeating because it is the most common attempt at a workaround. The Judiciary states it plainly: you cannot split or divide a claim into multiple claims to bring each claim under the applicable limit. One debt is one claim.
What it costs to file
The fee scales with what you are claiming, and it is materially higher for a company than for a person. This is deliberate — the Tribunals were built for individuals.
| Value of claim | Individual | Other entity |
|---|---|---|
| S$5,000 or below | S$10 | S$50 |
| Above S$5,000 to S$10,000 | S$20 | S$100 |
| Above S$10,000 to S$30,000 | 1% of amount claimed | 3% of amount claimed |
From the Judiciary's A Guide to Small Claims. A company claiming S$25,000 therefore pays S$750 to file; an individual claiming the same pays S$250.
You are not allowed a lawyer. That is the design, not an oversight
The rule is unambiguous: lawyers and agents are not allowed to represent a party in SCT proceedings before a Registrar or Tribunal Magistrate. You may take legal advice beforehand, and you may be represented by a lawyer on an appeal — but in the room, you speak for yourself.
This cuts both ways, and mostly in your favour. The company that owes you money cannot send counsel to out-argue you either. A Tribunal built on that assumption runs on documents and plain explanation, which is why the preparation matters more than the advocacy: the invoice, the messages, the date the money fell due.
The two-year clock
You won. That is not the same as being paid
An order to pay money is permission to collect, not collection. If the other side ignores it, enforcement is a separate application that you start and you pay for.
The usual enforcement sequence
- Apply for a Writ of Seizure and Sale — this authorises enforcement officers to seize and sell the debtor's movable property.
- The debtor is given 7 days to settle everything owed.
- If payment still does not come, apply to proceed to an auction sale of the seized items and recover from the proceeds.
Seizing goods is not the only route, and often not the best one. Garnishee proceedings direct a third party who owes the debtor money — a bank, most usefully — to pay you instead. An examination of the judgment debtor puts them under oath to disclose what they actually own, which is the step to take when you do not yet know whether enforcement is worth the fee.
Order the examination before the writ if you are unsure. Enforcement fees paid to the courts are generally non-refundable, and there is no point seizing from someone with nothing to seize.
Common questions
Can I claim for a tenancy dispute? Yes, for agreements not exceeding two years. Longer leases fall outside the Tribunals.
What if the Registrar says my claim is out of jurisdiction? You may appeal by filing an Appeal Against Order of Registrar on the CJTS and paying S$20, within 1 month of the order. You may be represented by a lawyer for that appeal.
They offered to settle for less than I am owed. Should I take it? Run the arithmetic honestly. A settlement paid this month beats an order you may spend more money enforcing against someone whose assets you have not verified.
Sources: Singapore Judiciary — Small claims, A Guide to Small Claims (PDF), Enforce an order or judgment. Figures are those published by the Singapore Judiciary at the time of writing. Fee schedules and jurisdiction limits change — confirm the current figures before you file. This is general information, not legal advice.