New, abbreviated civil proceedings!

Abbreviated proceedings at the Amsterdam District Court

In June 2019, the Commercial Division of the Amsterdam District Court will start using a new form of proceedings: abbreviated proceedings. These proceedings are a combination of summary proceedings and traditional proceedings on the merits.

Oral judgment

If the parties are unable to reach a settlement during the hearing, the judge will endeavour to deliver an oral judgment. In some cases, this is not possible, in which case a written judgment will be delivered within four weeks.

No urgent interest required

You may be aware that summary proceedings require urgent interest. In summary proceedings, urgency is not a requirement. This form of litigation is suitable for “ordinary” proceedings on the merits that do not require extensive witness examinations or expert investigations. For the time being, summary proceedings are only available if both parties agree to this form of litigation.

Short planning period

In ordinary substantive cases, after issuing a summons, you often have to wait 4 to 6 months before the case is finally heard by the court. After the court has received a draft summons, the abbreviated procedure is scheduled for a hearing as soon as possible. The defendant’s defence against the claimant’s claim must be in the possession of the court and the claimant no later than two weeks before the hearing.

For both parties, the abbreviated procedure can be a good alternative to the regular procedure. Not only from a financial point of view, but also because the parties are not left in uncertainty for long about the dispute that concerns them, so that everyone quickly knows where they stand.

Do you have any questions about this new form of litigation?

Please contact one of our specialists or call us directly on +31(0) 205 210 130.