Main hearing (hovedforhandling)
Also known as court hearing, trial, oral hearing
The main hearing is the court session where the case is argued — evidence is presented, the parties make their submissions, and the court gets what it needs to rule.
- Is
- The case's court session
- Comes after
- The written exchange
- Leads to
- Judgment
In practice
Most collection cases never get here. Where the claim is undisputed it is settled by payment order or by judgment in default, without anyone sitting down in a courtroom. The main hearing is the branch that opens when the debtor actually disputes the claim and stands by it.
Up to that point the case has run on paper. The main hearing is where the written becomes spoken: witnesses are examined, exhibits are gone through, and each party gets the floor to pull its case together. The court then rules on what emerged — not on what the parties know.
For a creditor the important thing is that this branch is expensive. There is preparation time, there is attendance, and the losing party generally pays the other side’s costs. That is what makes the question of documentation decisive long before anyone mentions litigation.
Where it commonly goes wrong
- The evidence is only gathered once a hearing date is set. The material has to be assembled while the person who knows the case still works in the building.
- A small case is run on principle. The cost of a main hearing can exceed the claim, and the court rarely covers the full bill.