Starting and responding to an action

Overview of the civil court structure in Ireland

For an overview of the civil court structure in Ireland, see:

1. •

   Ireland—Civil court structure—flowchart

which should be read in conjunction with Practice Note:

1. •

   Ireland—Civil courts structure

Resolving a dispute—early considerations

As soon as a dispute is imminent, there are a number of key issues which parties should consider. For example, a plaintiff should explore whether or not it is worth pursuing the defendant at all by checking their financial means. If the defendant does have assets, it is worth investigating where they are located (ie in or out of the jurisdiction) and taking a view on how easy it would be to enforce any judgment against such assets. The plaintiff could additionally need to consider whether any emergency procedures are required before the action is commenced, eg to restrain a party from moving assets out of the jurisdiction or whether other pre-action procedures are necessary. For further information on the various issues a party should have at the forefront of their minds in the early stages