This note is a brief explanation of Scott Schedules. If there is anything in the Order requiring a Scott Schedule that is inconsistent with this note the parties must follow the Order.

The idea of a Scott Schedule is to identify precisely the questions that the judge has to decide. They are often used in cases where there are several complaints of bad workmanship.

The first step is to separate the complaints being made into the individual items in dispute. Usually it is the Claimant complaining about the work. Sometimes it is a Defendant who is setting out the complaints he has, as reasons not to pay for work. In this note we will assume that it is the Claimant complaining about bad workmanship.

A Scott Schedule is a table.  In the first column after the item number, the Claimant sets out each complaint about the workmanship separately. The Claimant is also expected to identify in the next column how much he says it will cost to put the item right. At a trial, the Claimant will be expected to back up these figures with quotations and estimates.

In the next two columns, the Defendant sets out his response to each individual complaint. Even if he denies that he is liable at all, he is expected to give his figure for any remedial work. If he doesn’t, and the Judge decides that the Claimant’s complaint is right, the Judge will only have the Claimant’s figure to work with.

The last column is always reserved for the Judge’s use.

Schedules are usually set out on A4 paper in landscape (“sideways”) format.

Brevity is essential in a Scott Schedule. Usually the complaints and the responses involve quite detailed explanation, but in the schedule there should be the shortest possible summary. Detailed explanations are given in statements and in evidence in court.

This is a simple Scott Schedule:

No.	Alleged Defect	Claimant’s Cost Estimate	Defendant’s Response	Defendant’s Cost Estimate	Reserved for Judge’s Use
1	The bath is not level – the water does not run out	£150	It slopes slightly towards the plug as it must	£25
2	The power shower electrics are not earthed	£300	I did not do the electrical work	£75
3	Tiles have been damaged around the foot of the basin. The bathroom has to be retiled	£1,000	I did crack a few tiles which are out of sight but can be easily replaced	£100

If many more columns are required than shown above, more than one page may be needed to fit all the columns across sensibly. If that happens, the first and second columns on the first page should be repeated as the first and second columns on the extension sheets to make cross-referencing easier.