Court Preparation Tool

Procedure guides

Filing a Civil Claim with a Swedish Tingsrätt: Format Checklist

What a Swedish district court reads first in a self-prepared stämningsansökan, how attachments are indexed, when the simplified procedure applies and why documents are returned.

Sweden

How it works

  1. Work out which tingsrätt is competent from where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose.
  2. Write the claim, the circumstances relied on in support of it and the details of the evidence, as chapter 42 section 2 requires.
  3. Set the page: A4 paper, 2.5 cm margins, 12 point type, 1.5 line spacing, paragraphs numbered from 1.
  4. Number the attachments from 1 and build an index giving number, name and date.
  5. Sign the application, pay the application fee and file it through the e-service or at the court.

Next

Do I need a lawyer at the tingsrätt?

No. No lawyer is compulsory in the tingsrätt; the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court follow other rules, and this service does not replace a lawyer.

In which language is the document filed?

Swedish. Under the Language Act (2009:600) public authorities use Swedish, and the court may require a translation of written evidence in a foreign language.

When does the simplified procedure apply?

When the value claimed is less than half a prisbasbelopp under chapter 41 section 8 of the Code of Judicial Procedure; the court may then determine the case without a hearing.

Format requirements for this court

The simplified civil procedure applies where the value claimed is less than half a prisbasbelopp. Rättegångsbalken 41 kap. 8 § (förenklad tvistemålsprocess)
No lawyer is compulsory in the tingsrätt; other rules apply in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Rättegångsbalken 42 kap. 2 § (vad en stämningsansökan ska innehålla)
The stämningsansökan must state the claim, the circumstances relied on and the details of the evidence (chapter 42 section 2). Rättegångsbalken 42 kap. 2 § (vad en stämningsansökan ska innehålla)
Under the Language Act (2009:600) Swedish is the main language and documents are prepared in Swedish. Språklag (2009:600) 5 och 6 §§ (svenska som huvudspråk i myndigheters verksamhet)
The court may require a translation of written evidence in a foreign language (chapter 33 sections 7 and 8). Rättegångsbalken 33 kap. 7 och 8 §§ (skriftlig bevisning och översättning)
The document is set on A4 with 2.5 cm margins, 12 point type and 1.5 line spacing. Domstol.se: att stämma, tvistemål och formatkrav

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.