SG · Small Claims Tribunals

Small Claims Tribunals

The Small Claims Tribunals hear claims up to S$20,000 — or S$30,000 if both sides sign a Memorandum of Consent — and lawyers are not allowed to represent parties, so you argue it yourself.

What the rules actually say

Maximum claim

S$20,000, or S$30,000 where both parties sign a Memorandum of Consent.

The consent route is agreed between the parties, so a claimant cannot rely on it unilaterally when deciding where to file.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, Small Claims Tribunals

Can a lawyer represent you

No. “Lawyers are not allowed to represent parties for SCT matters.”

You may still take advice before filing. The bar is on representation at the consultation and the hearing — which is where preparation has to carry you instead.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, File a small claim

Time limit

Two years from the event that gives rise to the claim.

Shorter than the general limitation period for contract and tort, and the deadline claimants most often discover too late.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, Cases eligible for a small claim

What the Tribunals will hear

Contracts for the sale of goods; contracts for the provision of services; damage to property; residential tenancy agreements not exceeding two years; and claims against a supplier for an unfair practice.

Damage caused by a motor vehicle, and disputes with neighbours, fall outside the Tribunals.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, Cases eligible for a small claim

A consultation comes before any hearing

The parties attend a consultation first; if it does not settle, a tribunal magistrate hears and decides the claim.

Both the claimant and the respondent must attend. Most claims end at this stage rather than at a hearing.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, Small Claims Tribunals

The tiers above

The Magistrate’s Court hears civil claims to S$60,000 and the District Court to S$250,000; above that, the General Division of the High Court.

Counsel may appear in all of them — the no-representation rule belongs to the Tribunals alone.

JudiciarySingapore Courts, role and structure of the State Courts

What we could not establish

• The filing fee. The Courts publish fees through the Community Justice and Tribunals System rather than on a page that can be cited here, so no figure is stated rather than an approximate one.
• How long a claim typically takes from filing to the consultation. The Courts publish the process steps but not a timeline a claimant could plan around.

Procedural information, verified 2026-08-16 against the sources cited above. It is not legal advice, and it does not account for the facts of your case. Where two official sources disagree we show both rather than choose for you.