When filing a case on Najiz, the first substantive decision is the claim classification: the service displays requirements based on what you select, and a wrong choice is a known reason for a returned statement. This page — part of the Najiz guide on Hala Law — lays out a practical screening matrix and the questions to answer before filing.

The golden rule

Choose the classification based on three elements together: the legal relationship between the parties, the subject of the dispute, and the final request you want from the court — not on a general feeling that you are owed something. A sense of grievance does not determine the competent court; the nature of the relationship and the request do.

The classification matrix

| Situation | Closest track | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Dispute between an employee and an employer | Labor | Usually starts with amicable settlement at HR before the Labor Court; if unresolved, referred to the Labor Court within 21 business days of the first session | | Claim between merchants, companies, or partners | Commercial | Many disputes of merchants, companies, and commercial-law matters fall under the commercial courts | | Debt, compensation, civil contract, non-commercial money claim | General / civil | Check the parties' capacity and the source of the obligation | | Divorce, alimony, custody, visitation, proof of marriage or lineage, estate | Personal status | Usually not treated like commercial or civil money claims | | You hold a judgment, enforceable instrument, or enforceable settlement deed | Enforcement, not a new statement of claim | The path is usually an enforcement request, not a fresh claim | | Crime or criminal report | Criminal / law enforcement or public prosecution depending on the case | Not every criminal matter starts with a civil statement of claim | | Dispute against an administrative or government body over an administrative decision | Possibly the Board of Grievances | Do not assume Najiz is the right path for every dispute with a government entity |

Seven screening questions before you file

  1. Who is the other party? An individual, company, merchant, employer, government body, or a relative, spouse, or heir?
  2. What is the basis of the claim? A contract, invoice, salary, alimony, damage, partnership, or an enforceable instrument?
  3. What is the final request? An amount, contract rescission, an order to perform, compensation, custody, or enforcement of an instrument?
  4. Is there a judgment, instrument, or settlement deed? Its existence usually shifts the path to enforcement.
  5. Was a complaint, settlement, or notice already made? Some tracks require a prior step.
  6. Is a statutory deadline near? Deadlines can reorder priorities.
  7. Is urgent relief needed? Such as a travel ban, evidence preservation, stay of enforcement, or interim measures.

Where the classification appears in the Najiz interface

The classification sits inside the statement-of-claim service itself: after signing in via National Access, then Electronic Services, the judiciary package, the statement-of-claim service, and clicking Submit New Request, the classification screen appears — and the service then displays the requirements for your selection. The interface steps above reflect the last verification on 26 June 2026; labels may change with platform updates.

Two common points of confusion

  • Employee versus their company: the defendant being a company does not make the dispute commercial; the relationship is a labor one, and the path usually starts with amicable settlement at the Ministry of Human Resources — more in the labor rights section.
  • Holder of an enforceable instrument: someone with a judgment or enforceable settlement deed does not refile the claim from scratch; the path is usually an enforcement request. And if the dispute is genuinely negotiable, reconciliation through Taradhi may be a faster alternative — see Taradhi or the court?.

When do you need a licensed lawyer?

The matrix above is an informational first screen; it does not guarantee acceptance of the claim or settle jurisdiction conclusively. A licensed lawyer or accredited consultant becomes more fitting when:

  • More than one legal relationship overlaps in the same dispute — partnership plus employment, or a civil contract inside a commercial relationship.
  • The opponent is an administrative or government body, where identifying the competent forum requires examining the nature of the decision.
  • A statutory deadline is near or urgent relief is needed — a wrong track is costlier here.
  • The case sits between two classifications and the documents alone do not settle it.

The court examines its own jurisdiction based on the dispute before it; in mixed cases, classification remains a matter of professional judgment.