Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service

Services

• After a crime: your rights

  Your rights as a victim or witness of crime – includes information on the Victims' Code for Scotland and the Standards of Service for victims and witnesses.

• Animal disqualification orders

  A court can ban you from owning or keeping animals, dealing in animals, or transporting animals.

• Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBO)

  Find out why you can be given an ASBO, and what happens if you break it.

• Appeal a sentence or conviction

  How to appeal a sentence or conviction if you're found guilty of a crime at court.

• Apply to reduce your driving disqualification period

  How to apply to court to reduce your driving ban. Includes who can apply and how much it costs.

• Applying for confirmation when someone dies

  How to apply for confirmation when someone dies.

• Being a witness at court

  Information for witnesses of criminal, civil and Children’s Hearing court cases. Includes where to get support if you're worried about giving evidence, and special measures for vulnerable witnesses.

• Children and young witnesses at court

  If you need to go to court and you’re not sure what will happen, you can get support to help you feel ok about talking at court.

• Complain about a judge, sheriff or justice of the peace

  How to complain about the behaviour of a judge, sheriff or justice of the peace.

• Complain about the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service

  How to complain to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service if you’re unhappy with their service.

• Contact with your grandchildren if their parents divorce or separate

  How to get contact with your grandchildren if their parents divorce or separate and won't let you see them.

• Court fees

  Includes information on paying court fees and help with fees if you're on a low income or getting benefits.

• Criminal courts

  The different types of criminal court – Sheriff Court, High Court, Sheriff Appeal Court and Justice of the Peace Court.

• Find a court

  Find contact details and information about courts in Scotland. Includes finding court cases and court judgements.

• Finding a will

  How to find a will if someone dies.

• Football Banning Orders

  A court can ban you from attending all football matches in Scotland, the rest of the UK and abroad for up to 10 years.

• Get a divorce or dissolve a civil partnership

  How to get a divorce or dissolve a civil partnership. Includes ordinary divorces, do-it-yourself divorces and costs.

• Get a missing person declared dead

  Get a declaration of presumed death if a person has been missing for at least 7 years or you think they've died.

• Get support as a victim or witness of crime

  Find emotional support and practical information if you have been the victim of crime.

• Getting information about your adoption

  How to get information about your adoption including tracing your birth relatives and the adoption contact register.

• Help after the death of a partner

  What you need to do and what help you can get after the death of your husband, wife or partner.

• Help with a legal problem

  Who can help you if you need advice about a legal problem, such as debt, housing, benefits, employment, divorce or claims for money.

• If you don't pay your tax bill

  HMRC will take action if you don't pay your tax bill, like selling your property.

• If you're the carer of a witness

  Information for carers of witnesses with learning disabilities.

• Jury service

  What to do if you're asked to do jury service. Includes applying for exemption or excusal and claiming expenses.

• Make a court claim for money

  How to take legal action if someone owes you money, how much it will cost and what happens after you make a claim through the courts.

• Parental responsibilities and rights

  Find out about what the law says about your responsibilities and rights whether you're a mother, father, married, living together or in a civil partnership.

• Pay a court fine

  Includes how to pay a court fine, what could happen if you don't pay a fine and what to do if you can't pay it.

• Raise or defend an action in court

  Information on how to raise or defend an action in court. Includes simple procedure, summary cause and court costs.

• Respond to a court claim for money

  What happens if someone makes a money claim against you, saying you owe them money, and how you can respond or defend yourself.

• Serve or enforce a court order

  Information on how to serve or enforce a court order.

• Setting up guardianship

  Guardianship allows someone to make decisions on behalf of an adult with incapacity.

• Setting up power of attorney

  A legal document which allows you to plan for the future, drawn up when you have the capacity to do so.

• Sheriff court decrees on debt

  What happens after a sheriff court issues a decree.

• Understanding civil justice

  Issues like debt, housing disputes, bankruptcy, divorce, and parental rights are dealt with in the civil justice system.

• Understanding criminal justice

  Information for victims and witnesses on what happens at each stage of the criminal justice system.

• What happens at a children's hearing court case

  What happens when a children's hearing is sent to court – includes people in the courtroom, witnesses and what the sheriff can decide.

• What happens at a civil court case

  Information for witnesses on court processes at civil court cases.

• What happens at a criminal court case

  A guide for victims and witnesses on what happens if a criminal case goes to court.

• What to do when someone dies

  The steps you must take when someone dies – register a death, the procurator fiscal, funerals and bereavement support.

• Witness expenses for going to court

  Information for witnesses on claiming expenses for travelling to court, meals and loss of earnings.

• Your home after separation: renting

  Your rights and options for dividing the home you rent after you separate from your partner.