A neighbour’s overhanging tree, an unpaid invoice, a faulty product that caused damage—every day, thousands of civil disputes start just like these. But before anyone walks into a courtroom, a carefully designed framework kicks in to stop disputes from getting out of hand, and to put real muscle behind a judgment once you win. This chapter explains that framework: the rules of the road from the first exchange of letters right through to getting your money out of a stubborn defendant.