The small claims procedure is now seen as a convenient way to tackle the current crisis in civil justice, and with a massive increase in the small claims limit from £1,000 to £3,000, small claims is big judicial business. This book is based on the most extensive research on small claims procedures ever conducted in the United Kingdom. The author had privileged access to the district judges who conduct claim hearings, and the book is the first to include lengthy extracts from tape recorded interviews conducted with them. It also includes discussion of interviews with litigants, including many who struggled to gain payment of court judgements.