
SQE2 - Dispute Resolution Outline
Are you overwhelmed by the masses of information you are expected to know?
Are you short on time to make notes?
Do you just want a summary of the functioning legal knowledge that you need to know?
Then, you are in the
Functioning Legal Knowledge for SQE2 - Dispute Resolution
contains summaries in bullet-point format of:
All topics listed by the SRA in the FLK for Dispute Resolution

Why SQE2 Outlines?
Have a quick reference to revise from
Created by someone who passed the SQE2 first time
Value for money & affordable
What does the SQE2 Dispute Resolution Outline cover?
The SQE2 Dispute Resolution Outline contains the entire functioning knowledge specified by the SRA in relation to Dispute Resolution for the SQE2:
The principles, procedures and processes involved in dispute resolution
Different options for dispute resolution:
- The characteristics of arbitration, mediation and litigation which make them an appropriate mechanism to resolve a dispute.
Resolving a dispute through a civil claim:
- preliminary considerations: limitation, pre-action protocols:
- parties and causes of action
- calculating limitation periods for claims in contract and tort
- Practice Direction – Pre-action conduct
- principles and purpose of pre-action protocols governing particular claims and consequences for failure to follow their terms
- applicable law: mechanisms to determine which country’s laws apply to a contractual or tortious claim issued in the courts of England and Wales
- jurisdiction: mechanisms to determine jurisdiction over an international contractual or tortious claim.
Where to start proceedings:
- allocation of business between the High Court and the County Court
- jurisdiction of the specialist courts.
Issuing and serving proceedings:
-
- issuing a claim form
- adding, removing or substituting parties
- service of a claim form within the jurisdiction
- procedure for service of a claim form outside the jurisdiction (with or without the court’s permission) and mechanisms for effecting valid
service in another jurisdiction
- deemed dates of service and time limits for serving proceedings
- service by an alternative method.
Responding to a claim:
- admitting the claim
- acknowledging service and filing a defence and/or counterclaim
- disputing the court’s jurisdiction
- entering and setting aside judgment in default
- discontinuance and settlement
- time limits for responding to a claim.
Statements of case:
- purpose, structure and content of a claim form, particulars of claim, or defence relating to a claim in contract or tort
- purpose, structure and content of a reply, Part 20 claim, or defence to Part 20 claim
- requests for further information about statements of case
- amendments.
Interim applications:
- procedure for making an application
- purpose, procedure and evidence required for particular applications:
- summary judgment
- interim payments
- interim injunctions.
Case management:
- the overriding objective
- track allocation
- case management directions for cases proceeding on the fast or multi-tracks
- non-compliance with orders, sanctions and relief
- costs and case management conferences.
Evidence:
- relevance, hearsay and admissibility
- the burden and standard of proof
- expert evidence -
- opinion evidence
- duties of experts
- single joint experts
- discussion between experts
- witness evidence -
- witness statements
- affadavits.
Disclosure and inspection:
- standard disclosure
- orders for disclosure
- specific disclosure
- pre-action and non-party disclosure
- electronic disclosure
- privilege and without prejudice communications
- waiver of privilege.
Trial:
- summoning witnesses
- preparations for trial -
- purpose of pre-trial checklists and hearings
- purpose of trial bundles.
- trial procedure
- the nature and effect of judgment.
Costs:
- costs management and budgeting
- inter-partes costs orders (interim and final)
- non-party costs
- qualified one-way costs shifting
- Part 36 and other offers
- security for costs
- fixed and assessed costs.
Appeals:
- permission
- destination of appeals
- grounds for appeals.
Enforcement of money judgments:
- oral examination
- methods of enforcement
- procedure and mechanisms for effecting valid enforcement in another jurisdiction.
Core principles of contract law
Formation:
- offer and acceptance
- consideration
- intention to create legal relations
- certainty
- capacity.
Parties:
- privity of contract
- rights of third parties.
Contract terms:
- express terms
- incorporation of terms
- terms implied by common law and statute
- exemption clauses
- the interpretation of contract terms (conditions, warranties and innominate terms)
- variation.
Vitiating factors:
- misrepresentation
- mistake
- unfair contract terms
- duress and undue influence
- illegality.
Termination:
- expiry or other specified event
- breach
- frustration
- basic principles of restitution and unjust enrichment in the context of termination of contract.
Remedies:
- damages
- liquidated sums and penalties
- specific performance
- injunctions
- duty to mitigate
- indemnities
- guarantees.
Causation and remoteness
Core principles of tort
Negligence:
- duty of care (standard (general and professional)) and breach
- causation (single and multiple)
- remoteness and loss
- principles of remedies for personal injury and death claims
- claims for pure economic loss arising from either a negligent act or misstatement
- claims for psychiatric harm
- employers’ primary liability (operation and effect of the common law principles).
Defences:
- consent
- contributory negligence
- illegality
- necessity.
Principles of vicarious liability
Occupiers’ Liability:
- legal requirements for a claim under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (in relation to visitors) and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984 (in relation to non-visitors)
- defences
- exclusion of liability.
Product liability:
- principles in negligence
- principles of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
Nuisance:
- public and private nuisance
- the rule in Rylands v Fletcher
- remedies (damages and injunctions) and defences.
What is the SQE2?
The SQE2 exam is the second of two "super" exams required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in order to qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales.
The SQE2 exam contains the following assessments:
- Written Part
- Day 1 - Dispute Resolution and Criminal Procedure
- Day 2 - Property and Wills
- Day 3 - Business Law
- Oral Part
-
- Day 1 - Dispute Resolution and Property
- Day 2 - Criminal Procedure and Wills
Each day of the written part includes:
- Case & Matter Analysis (60min)
- Legal Writing (30min)
- Legal Research (60min)
- Legal Drafting (45min)
Each day of the oral part includes:
- Advocacy (45min prep and 15min presentation)
- Client Interviewing (10min prep, 25min interviewing, and 25min writing an attendance note by hand)
Who will teach me?

Hi there
My name is Madeleine Weber!
I have been working as a legal professional for half a decade, predominantly in the IT industry as an in-house counsel in the UK.
I qualified as a solicitor via the transitional arrangements by sitting the QLTS MCT and the SQE2.
I passed the first ever SQE2 exam on my first attempt in 2022.
Whilst preparing for the exam, I really wished I had concise revision notes to revise from. I didn't have much time to make revision notes, and the notes I purchased from the prep course providers were incredibly lengthy.
That is what inspired me to write out concise and easy to follow notes based on the Functioning Legal Knowledge required by the SRA.
Testimonials
FAQ
This is a very subjective question and will depend on your background and education.
I personally would recommend to purchase a SQE2 preparation course, as this will provide you with all the tools to have the best chance to pass on your first attempt.
My SQE2 outlines should be relied on as supplementary revision aides.
You will have access for 1 year from the date of purchase.
A summary of all the topics listed by the SRA in relation to criminal law and procedure that may be tested on the SQE2.
All materials are downloadable and usable offline.
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If you are unhappy about any aspect of the course, do let me know and I will do my best to sort the issue out for you.
Otherwise, there is no refund policy for this item.