Pleadings

Pleadings are the formal written documents in which each side sets out the facts it relies on and what it is asking the court to decide.

They include the statement of claim, the defence, and sometimes a reply, and together they frame exactly what is in dispute before any evidence is heard. Once pleadings close, the case generally cannot be argued on a completely different basis, which is why accuracy in these early documents matters so much.

Pleadings are prepared and exchanged during the pre-trial stage, alongside disclosure of documents and often a court-encouraged attempt to settle.

Pre-trial steps and mediation explains what happens around this stage.