Where a defendant, served with an originating claim, wishes to contest a claim, the defendant must file and serve a notice of intention to contest or not contest within 14 days after the statement of claim is served on the defendant where it is served in Singapore and 21 days where the defendant is served out of Singapore.
The defendant must then file and serve a defence to the originating claim within 21 days after the statement of claim is served on the defendant where it is served in Singapore and 5 weeks where the defendant is served out of Singapore. If the defendant fails to file and serve a defence within the prescribed time, you as the claimant may apply for judgment in default of defence.
The defendant may also make a counterclaim in the same action if they think that they have a claim against you. In this case, they will file and serve their counterclaim (Form 13 of Appendix A of the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021 or Form 13 of Appendix A2 of the State Courts Practice Directions 2021), together with their defence, on you. If you are served with a defence and counterclaim, you will have to file your defence to counterclaim within 14 days.
If the defendant is challenging the jurisdiction of the Court, the defendant need not file and serve a defence on the merits, but must file and serve a defence stating the ground on which the defendant is challenging the jurisdiction of the Court.
After the defendant has filed its defence or you, as the claimant, have filed your defence to counterclaim, no further pleadings may be filed unless the Court otherwise orders. If you, as the claimant, merely wish to deny assertions in the defence, no reply needs to be filed, and if a reply is needed you, as the claimant, must seek the approval of the Court.
