First level courts (Metropolitan and Municipal Trial Courts) · Metropolitan or Municipal Trial Court - Small Claims (up to PHP 1,000,000)
Metropolitan or Municipal Trial Court - Small Claims (up to PHP 1,000,000) — Philippines
Format requirements for this court
| Court and track | Metropolitan or Municipal Trial Court - Small Claims (up to PHP 1,000,000) |
|---|---|
| Paper | Letter |
| Margins | 1 inch · 1 inch · 1 inch · 1 inch |
| Type | Times New Roman, 12 pt |
| Line spacing | 1.5 |
| Paragraph numbering | {n}. |
Twelve point type with 1.5 line spacing. Everything must be legible because the form itself may be signed and sworn before the court.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Metropolitan or Municipal Trial Court - Small Claims (up to PHP 1,000,000)
File the prescribed statement of claim form with the first level court that covers the place where the defendant resides or where the events happened. Letter paper, 1 inch margins, 12 point type, numbered paragraphs, the statement of claim in English or Filipino, a signature, and sworn verification with the required certifications. No lawyer appears in a small claims case; the parties appear in person.
PHP 1,000,000 — Since the 2022 amendments, small claims in the first level courts cover money claims of up to 1,000,000 pesos, exclusive of interest and costs.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Metropolitan or Municipal Trial Court - Ordinary Civil Action
A verified complaint with the caption required by the Rules of Court and the required certifications. This pack does not produce documents for this action.
PHP 0 — An ordinary civil action has no small claims ceiling. The rules on who may appear for a party are different there, and this pack covers the small claims procedure only.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Filing checklist - what to bring, in how many copies, and why documents get returned.
- The prescribed statement of claim form, completed in English or in Filipino, and signed before the court.
SC Form 1-SCC (Statement of Claim for Small Claims Cases)
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Confirm with the court whether the form is available in Filipino or in the dialect of the region; the bilingual versions cover only some courts and some languages.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The original plus one copy for the court and one copy for the defendant, with the attachments.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The filing fee for a small claims case, which is a fixed amount set by the rules.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Attachments listed and numbered from 1, matching the pages attached to the form.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The defendant's complete address, which also establishes venue.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The amount claimed, stated as you entered it, with the basis you provided for the figure.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Attend the hearing in person. In a small claims case the parties appear without lawyers, and the form cannot be amended once it has been filed.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Confirmation that the court you are filing in covers the defendant's residence or the place of the events.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Why filings get sent back
- The claim is not on the prescribed small claims form. The rules require the official statement of claim form, and a document in another shape is not accepted for filing.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The statement of claim is not signed and sworn before the court, so the verification is missing.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The certification against forum shopping and the other required certifications are missing from the form.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The amount claimed is above the small claims ceiling, so the case cannot proceed under this procedure.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- An attempt was made to amend the statement of claim after filing. The small claims rules do not allow the statement of claim to be amended once it has been filed.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The claim was filed in a court that does not cover the place where the defendant resides or where the events happened.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- A Filipino or regional-language version of the form was assumed to be available. Availability varies by court, so the version used must be confirmed with the court before filing.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
The language you read here and the language of the documents are set separately.
Document language: English, Filipino. This is set by the court, not by the language you are reading now.
- English (Required)
The small claims rules allow a pleading to be in English, in Filipino or in the dialect of the region, so an English statement of claim is accepted directly. The Supreme Court forms are published in English, and some are issued in bilingual English and Tagalog or English and Cebuano versions.
- Filipino
The small claims rules allow English, Filipino or the dialect of the region, so a statement of claim in Filipino is accepted directly. The bilingual forms cover only some courts and some languages, so confirm with the court you are filing in whether a Filipino or dialect version of the form is available before you rely on one.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Rules of Procedure for Small Claims Cases, A.M. No. 08-8-7-SC, as amended by A.M. No. 22-06-11-SC
- Supreme Court of the Philippines - prescribed small claims forms, including SC Form 1-SCC (Statement of Claim)
- Rules of Procedure for Small Claims Cases, A.M. No. 08-8-7-SC, as amended by A.M. No. 22-06-11-SC
- Supreme Court of the Philippines - prescribed small claims forms, including SC Form 1-SCC (Statement of Claim)
- Judiciary of the Philippines - first level courts and small claims information
Disclosure: what this document set is and is not
This document set was assembled by a document preparation service that organises the facts you supplied and applies the page format published by the court named above. The preparer is not a lawyer, is not admitted to the Philippine Bar and does not act as your representative in any court. No legal advice is given and no opinion is offered on which rule, defence or claim applies to your situation. You remain responsible for the contents of every document you file, for meeting every deadline, and for consulting a lawyer about your own situation. Every format rule in this pack is listed with its source so that you can check it yourself.
I have read this disclosure. I understand that the preparer is not a lawyer, that this set is a format and fact-organisation aid and not legal advice, and that no lawyer has reviewed my documents.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Confirm you understand: citations are not verified
The system does not check whether a citation is real. You are responsible for checking each one in the official database: Official Gazette (officialgazette.gov.ph) and the Supreme Court E-Library (elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph).
Check this citation yourself: confirm that the issuance exists, that it is still in force, and that no later issuance or decision has changed it.
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.
- Rules of Procedure for Small Claims Cases, A.M. No. 08-8-7-SC, as amended by A.M. No. 22-06-11-SC
- Supreme Court of the Philippines - prescribed small claims forms, including SC Form 1-SCC (Statement of Claim)
- LawPhil Project (Supreme Court decisions, rules and issuances)
- Judiciary of the Philippines - first level courts and small claims information
- Supreme Court E-Library (elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph)
- Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines