Adapted from real cases

Small Claims Tribunal case studies

Each example below is built from the kinds of case the Hong Kong Small Claims Tribunal actually hears. They show what the dispute looked like, what evidence carried it, and roughly how long it took. Filter by dispute type or by how much you are owed to find the one closest to your situation.

HK$75,000Tribunal claim ceiling

HK$20–120Filing fee, by claim size

No lawyersNot permitted at the hearing

6 weeks–3.5 monthsRange across these examples

Ceiling, filing fees and the no-representation rule are the Judiciary's published rules for the Small Claims Tribunal. The timings are those of the worked examples on this page, not a forecast — an individual case turns on its own evidence and the Tribunal's list.

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Find the case closest to yours

Two filters, because people arrive with one of two questions: what kind of dispute is this, and is my amount worth pursuing. The claim-size bands are cut on the Tribunal's own fee tiers, so picking a band also tells you what filing costs.

9 cases

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Freelance designer recovers unpaid project fee

Debt Recovery

HK$16,800

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Freelance Designer Recovers Unpaid Project Fee in Full

A freelance designer completed a full branding project, but the client withheld the HK$16,800 final payment citing vague quality complaints. Filing with the Small Claims Tribunal secured full recovery.

Approx. 2 months

Water Leakage Claim

HK$18,500

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Three Years of Ceiling Leaks, No Compensation — Until We Filed

A tenant endured three years of ceiling leaks with no resolution from the upstairs owner. After filing with the Small Claims Tribunal, they successfully recovered over HK$18,000 in repair costs and losses.

Approx. 2.5 months

Unpaid Loan Recovery

HK$15,000

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Friend Refused to Repay — FPS Records Became the Winning Evidence

A client lent HK$15,000 to a friend who kept making excuses to delay repayment. FPS transfer screenshots and WhatsApp records became the key evidence that won the case.

Approx. 2 months

Repair Dispute

HK$24,000

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Client Signed Off on the Renovation — Then Refused to Pay Three Months Later

A renovation contractor completed a residential project and received a signed completion confirmation. Three months later, the client refused to pay the final instalment, claiming defects. After filing with the Small Claims Tribunal, the full outstanding balance was recovered.

Approx. 2 months

Security Deposit Dispute

HK$24,000

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Landlord Withheld Two Months' Deposit — Full Amount Recovered

A tenant returned the property in good condition, but the landlord withheld HK$24,000 in deposit citing alleged damage. Photos taken at handover proved decisive at the Tribunal.

Approx. 3 months

Agent Commission

HK$19,800

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Agent Secured the Tenancy — Landlord Refused to Pay Commission

An estate agent successfully arranged a two-year tenancy for a landlord under a signed agency agreement. After the tenant moved in, the landlord refused to pay the agreed commission. The full amount was recovered through the Small Claims Tribunal.

Approx. 6 weeks

Trade Payment

HK$31,500

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Three Deliveries, All Signed — Restaurant Refused to Pay Anyway

A food ingredient supplier made three deliveries to a restaurant, each signed off by the restaurant's own staff. When the owner refused to pay two invoices citing quality concerns, the supplier filed with the Small Claims Tribunal and recovered the full amount.

Approx. 2.5 months

Unpaid Service Fee

HK$22,000

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Design Agency Completes Project — Client Refuses Final Payment, Full Fee Recovered

A freelance designer completed a full branding project, but the client refused to pay the HK$22,000 balance claiming dissatisfaction. Filing with the Small Claims Tribunal secured full recovery.

Approx. 2.5 months

Rent Arrears Recovery

HK$44,000

Won — Full Amount Recovered

Tenant Accumulated Four Months' Rent Arrears — Landlord Recovered Full Amount

A tenant made excuses across four months, accumulating HK$44,000 in unpaid rent. The landlord successfully recovered the full amount through the Small Claims Tribunal.

Approx. 3.5 months

What they have in common

Why these claims succeeded

Read enough Tribunal outcomes and the same three factors keep deciding them. None of them is legal skill — the Tribunal does not allow lawyers anyway.

The paper trail existed before the dispute did

The winning side could always show something written at the time — a signed delivery note, a transfer record, photographs at handover.

Read the full explanation

In every example here the winning side could show something written at the time — a signed acknowledgement of delivery, a transfer record, dated photographs at handover, a countersigned completion note. Evidence assembled after the argument started is worth far less than the same fact recorded before it. If you are still in a relationship that might sour, the cheapest thing you can do today is put the terms in a message and keep the reply.

The amount was specific and arithmetically traceable

A claim for "about twenty thousand" invites argument. HK$19,800, itemised, does not.

Read the full explanation

A claim for "about twenty thousand" invites argument; a claim for HK$19,800 made of named items does not. The examples that recovered in full arrived with a figure the adjudicator could follow line by line — invoice, rate, dates, deduction. Where a figure was rounded or partly estimated, the recovery was partial too.

The other side's excuse arrived late

Accepted, signed for, handed back — and the complaint appears only once payment is due. The dates show it.

Read the full explanation

A recurring shape: work is accepted, goods are signed for, a flat is handed back — and the complaint about quality appears only once payment is due. That sequence is visible in the dates, and the dates are on the documents. Several examples here turned on nothing more complicated than showing that the objection post-dated the acceptance.

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Questions

About these cases, and about your own

Six questions people ask before they file — answered the way we would answer them on the phone.

Are these real clients?

No. They are illustrative worked examples built from the kinds of case the Small Claims Tribunal hears, written to show the shape of a claim, the evidence that carries it and the usual timescale. They are not records of identified clients, and no outcome shown here is a promise about yours.

Do I need a lawyer for the Small Claims Tribunal?

You cannot use one at the hearing. The Judiciary's rules are that Small Claims Tribunal proceedings are informal and parties may not be represented by lawyers. Related point on cost: even if you win, any lawyer's fees you paid in a Small Claims case cannot be recovered.

What does it cost to file?

The filing fee is banded by the amount claimed: HK$20 for claims up to HK$5,000, HK$40 from HK$5,001 to HK$25,000, HK$70 from HK$25,001 to HK$50,000, and HK$120 from HK$50,001 to HK$75,000.

My claim is more than HK$75,000 — what then?

The Tribunal handles money claims not exceeding HK$75,000, and you may not split a larger claim into several cases to get under the limit. You may, however, abandon the amount above HK$75,000 in order to bring the claim here. Whether that trade is worth making depends on the size of the excess against the cost and time of the higher courts.

If I win, what can I actually recover?

Beyond the sum claimed, the winning party may recover costs such as travel to the hearing, wages lost by attending, and expert fees where an expert was needed. Lawyer's fees are the exception and are never recoverable.

How long do these cases take?

The examples on this page ran 6 weeks–3.5 months from filing to outcome. That range reflects these examples only. Your own timing depends on the Tribunal's list, whether the other side engages, and whether the case is adjourned for further evidence.

By dispute type

The full guide behind each kind of case

Each case study is a single worked example. If you want the rules, the evidence checklist and the cost breakdown for your type of dispute, start here.