SQE 1 – Dispute Resolution: Commencing Proceedings Practice Test

Understanding how a civil claim progresses: issuing versus serving. When a claim is issued, the court has processed and sealed the claim form, but the defendant has not yet been notified. Service is the step that formally delivers the claim (and any related documents) to the defendant to bring them into the proceedings. So, if a claim has been issued but not served, the correct situation is that the court has issued the claim, but no service has occurred yet. The other statements imply that the defendant has been notified or that the claim is invalid or already answered, which would require service to have occurred first, so they don’t fit this stage. After service, the defendant would have a deadline to respond with a defense.