Litigation

Litigation is the procedure that can be followed when a dispute arises between two or more parties. To receive this service in the best possible way, whether in person or online, you need to appoint a licensed and accredited law firm. Below are the details of the litigation system in Saudi Arabia, how to obtain this service, and how to meet your legal requirements through it.

What Does It Mean for a Law Firm to Provide Litigation Services?

Litigation refers to the procedures that provide appropriate judicial solutions for two opponents who have been unable to reach an amicable agreement. Litigation therefore clarifies, secures and protects rights.

Law firms represent their clients in lawsuits before the administrative, general, appellate and enforcement courts, as well as before settlement and dispute resolution committees, arbitration panels and other bodies.

Sahal Law Firm devotes its full legal expertise to achieving the best results for its clients in litigation. It relies on the best international principles and standards and constantly strives to lead this field in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, drawing on its team of experts and specialists in every type of case.

An Overview of the Litigation System in Saudi Arabia

The litigation system in Saudi Arabia has three levels:

First-instance courts: the courts where the claimant files the claim for the first time.
Second level: the courts of appeal, where the claimant may go if dissatisfied with the first-instance judgment. The court of appeal may uphold or overturn the first-instance judgment.
Third level: the Supreme Court, whose judgments may be challenged only in exceptional cases.

Whatever litigation procedures our clients' legal position requires, we are fully prepared to carry them out in the best possible way, drawing on the knowledge and professional expertise of our team of specialists and experts in this field.

Stages and Procedures of Litigation in Saudi Arabia

We have extensive experience of litigation law and procedure before all Saudi courts in civil, commercial, administrative and other cases, as follows:

A thorough legal study of every aspect of the case and identification of the key points to be worked on.
Preparing the reports, memoranda and documents needed to file the claim, and corresponding with the opposing parties where necessary.
Filing the claim with the competent court.
Pleading before the court.
Filing appeals and challenges to judgments, and similar.
Following the case through until it is won.

Saudi litigation law requires both parties to attend in person or to appoint someone to represent them, subject to the conditions for valid attendance by an agent on behalf of a party.

If the claimant fails to attend a hearing without an excuse acceptable to the court, the claim lapses, the case is struck off the record, and it will not be heard again except by decision of the Supreme Court.

If the defendant fails to attend the first hearing, the case is adjourned to another hearing and the defendant is notified of the date. If the defendant is also absent from the adjourned hearing, the court may decide the case and issue its rulings in their absence, and the judgment is considered to be in absentia. The defendant may object to the judgment before the court within the permitted objection period; if they are absent from the hearing at which the objections are considered, the court's decision becomes final.

Everyone recognizes the importance of a specialist lawyer with broad experience and knowledge of every stage and procedure of litigation in Saudi Arabia — one who can win cases, deliver swift justice, and preserve and protect rights in accordance with Islamic Sharia. This is what our team at Sahal Law Firm strives to achieve in the best possible way, with a high degree of professionalism and competence.

Types of Courts Before Which Cases Can Be Litigated Under Saudi Law

Courts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are divided into three types:

The Supreme Court, based in Riyadh, whose role is to oversee the correct application of Sharia and statutory rules.
The courts of appeal, located in every region of the Kingdom, whose role is to review judgments issued by the first-instance courts within their circuit.
First-instance courts, whose role is to rule on all claims within their territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction. They are divided into five types: general courts, criminal courts, personal status courts, labor courts and commercial courts.

Sahal Law Firm's team, which specializes in every type of case, ensures that its work within the Saudi litigation system complies with the provisions of Islamic Sharia, whether in civil-rights, commercial, labor or Board of Grievances cases. We also have a specialist team that follows up the enforcement of judgments and helps our clients recover their rights.

Our Key Litigation Services

You can rely on Sahal Law Firm for the best services relating to every type of litigation procedure before the various authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including:

Representation in lawsuits.
Commercial and industrial litigation.
Real estate litigation.
Criminal litigation.
Civil litigation.
Dispute settlement.
Securities litigation.
Risk assessment and exposure to damages.
Debt collection procedures.
Intellectual property claims.
Personal status cases.
Labor cases.
E-litigation services, along with every other type of litigation and arbitration across all fields.

Dealing with legal disputes can be extremely stressful, but the right lawyer, with experience and knowledge of litigation law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will help improve your chances of a positive outcome.

We represent and protect your interests whenever there is a legal dispute, help you make sense of the complex procedures and legal terminology involved, and explain the timeframe within which each step should be taken.

E-Litigation Services

The Ministry of Justice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia introduced e-litigation as part of its digital transformation efforts, which aim to speed up proceedings and make things easier for citizens, lawyers, judges and every party in the justice system.

At Sahal Law Firm, we have extensive experience with the mechanisms and tools of this type of litigation through the Najiz portal. We help our clients save time and effort, shorten and speed up the various litigation procedures and complete them successfully, with the option of attending hearings remotely and dealing with the court's decisions and judgments in every legal form.

We can assist our clients with every type of e-litigation hearing, including pleading sessions and video-link hearings that all parties can attend through the communication channels approved by the Ministry of Justice, through which litigation proceedings are conducted and judgments are issued.

What Sets Us Apart

Sahal Law Firm is a firm accredited and licensed by the Saudi Ministry of Justice. We are proud that a large base of clients chooses our litigation services, because we keep their goals and requirements firmly in view and use the best legal means and methods to achieve them, guided by the following principles:

Preserving our clients' confidentiality and privacy.
Working with a high degree of professionalism and competence.
Making the best use of every technological resource and modern technique to help us complete our legal tasks as quickly and as well as possible.
Effective and productive communication with the client, keeping them updated on every development in their case as it happens, and giving them an honest assessment of the case as soon as it has been studied and analyzed.
The ability to provide appropriate legal solutions and to represent our clients before the courts in every type of litigation procedure.
The ability to solve problems and to convey facts accurately, clearly and concisely, together with advanced analytical and technical skills. We have gained broad experience from thousands of cases at every stage of litigation, both electronic and in person.

Every legal problem requires specialist lawyers with academic and professional experience to find appropriate solutions that comply with the laws and regulations in force in the country, and to ensure that rights are properly recovered and protected. Finding the right lawyer can be somewhat complicated, as you need to check that certain criteria are met that confirm the lawyer's experience and ability to carry out the required legal work accurately and efficiently, with the aim of winning the case for the client in a way that serves justice.

At Sahal Law Firm, our first priority is to achieve this for you by providing a wide range of legal services, including litigation services in every type of case, however complex. We promise that you will feel comfortable, confident and reassured with us, and that we will do our utmost to achieve the best possible outcome for you.