Parts 7 and 8 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR) deal with the first stage of a claim, and adopt some of the Supreme Court Rules (SCR) and some County Court Rules (CCR).

The claim must be started by using a prescribed form.

The practice direction 'How to Start Proceedings' steers practitioners in the direction of a single claim form that includes the particulars, where this is practicable.

If the claim form does not include the full particulars, it must state that the particulars are to follow.Some common claim forms will be printed by the Court Service for litigants in person to use.

Subject to one exception, Lord Woolf's recommendation that there should be a single claim form has been accepted.

A form of originating summons/application is retained but will still be categorised as a claim form.

This is convenient where no substantial issue of fact is likely to arise.

The acknowledgement of service procedure is adopted from the SCR and so the defendant's time for filing the acknowledgement generally runs from the date of the service of the particulars of claim.

The defendant will be served with a 'response pack' of acknowledgement of service and a defence and admission, along the lines of today's county court forms.Service of the claim must be within four months from date of its issue or within six months, where the claim is to be served out of the jurisdiction.

For these purposes, service in another part of the UK or in a convention country within the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements Act 1982, is four months.

Pro ceedings start from the date the court stamps on the claim form.If a claim is served that states the particulars are to follow, then particulars of claim must be served on the defendant within 14 days, but in any event, not later than the latest time for serving a claim form (four or six months).

The court's power to extend the period for service of the claim applies also to the service of the separate particulars.Matters to be included in the claim formIf the claim form does not contain the full particulars, it must contain a concise statement of the nature of the claim.

The remedy which the claimant seeks must be specified (although this does not limit the court's power to grant any other remedy to which he may be entitled and that's a change).

A statement of value must be given.

The capacity of any party who is a person under a legal disability should also be stated.No statement of value -- no progressIn a money claim where the figure that the claimant demands is not given, a statement of the value of the claim must be included.

The statement of value is the first thing the district judge will look for when the claim is allocated to a procedural track.

Above £15,000 will be multi-track, above £5,000 not exceeding £15,000 fast track, and below £5,000 (subject to exceptions), small claims track.In a non-money claim, the statement will say that a statement of value cannot be given.

If the statement of value is omitted, there will be a delay in the defended claim being allocated to a track while the district judge requests more information.

The claim may be quantified for general damages which would currently be dealt with as 'unliquidated'.

The distinction between 'liquidated' and 'unliquidated' disappears in matters procedural.

If a figure is given on a claim for general damages, then the court will treat this as the statement of value.

Indeed, if no defence is filed, then judgment may be entered for the specific sum claimed although the prospects of an application to set aside the judgment are likely to be high.Which court?Proceedings -- whether for damages or for a specified sum -- may not be started in the High Court unless the value of the claim is £15,000 or more, and £50,000 in the case of a claim for personal injuries.

The present requirements for certain classes of claim (for example, claims for possession of a dwellinghouse) to be issued in the county court within whose district the defendant lives, continue to apply.Semi-detached -- what goes into the particulars of claimPart 16 of the CPR and its supporting practice direction set out matters that must be included in the claimant's statement unless the originating summons/application type procedure is used.

The particulars of claim must include a concise statement of the facts on which the claimant relies; any claim for interest (this requirement is quite detailed, and raises the question of whether it is statutory or contractual); and, the grounds for claiming any aggravated or exemplary damages.

Other matters required in the particulars, formerly scattered through the SCR and CCR, are gathered into the part 16 practice direction.

There is little new.

The special requirements that relate to the form of a claim stated in foreign money, personal injury claims, landlord's and mortgagee's claims and hire purchase claims are all republished.Careless pleading -- the statement of truthEither the claim form or the separate particulars of claim must contain a statement by the claimant or the claimant's solicitor saying: 'I believe that the facts stated in these particulars are true'.

Special rules state who is to sign and what they must say when the party has a litigation friend (the present 'next friend'), or is a partnership or corporation.

Particulars that omit the declaration are liable to be struck out.

I wonder to what developments this requirement may lead? Will solicitors issuing claims for road traffic accident uninsured losses stop using an omnibus claim form and actually say what happened? I shall not hold my breath.

The same rule applies to defendants.

If the defendant denies an allegation he must state his reasons for doing so and, if the defendant intends to put forward a different version of the events from the claimant, he must state his own version.Pleading -- the crystal ball nowPart 16 CPR and its practice direction set out the required contents of the parties' statements of case.

Order 18 Supreme Court Rules (SCR) and its voluminous notes about pleading disappear.

My guess is that from April, particulars of claim will not alter much although many defences may change substantially.

The only 'pleading' requirement of part 16 is that both parties summarise their case concisely and clearly.

After 26 April, no draftsman, whether counsel or solicitor, has the advantage of experience.

In a smaller claim the statement of case can be abbreviated and reference made to the evidence.

The practice direction allows witness statements to be served with the statement of case.'I still don't understand'Part 18 of the CPR gives power to the court to order a party to clarify a matter in dispute or to give additional information.

The request need no longer be restricted to something contained in a statement of case.

The court has to take into account whether the request is necessary in order to dispose fairly of the claim or to save costs.

Given the fact that, in a fast track claim, the exchange of witness statements follows not long after the defence is filed, will any request for clarification be justified? In a multi-track claim, will an order to disclose evidence be more useful than an order for more information about the statement of a case? I foresee more applications in personal injury claims for permission to serve the claim without filing or serving a medical report and a schedule of special damages.

It makes sense to save these steps if the claimant intends to apply for an order for liability to be tried as a preliminary issue, where liability is in doubt and, the claimant has made a contingent fee agreement.