Organising the administration of justice before the civil courts in an adequate manner is a complicated task. First, there are the legitimate claims of thoroughness and high quality in the adjudication of civil matters that need to be taken into consideration, since these guarantee a just outcome of the civil lawsuit and fi nally the observance of the rule of law in a given jurisdiction. At the same time effi ciency, timeliness and costs are central issues. Unfortunately, thoroughness and high quality do not necessarily go hand in hand with effi ciency, timeliness and low costs and, therefore, it is the task of the lawmaker, the Judiciary and also the parties and their counsel to balance the various interests involved in the civil action.