Looking for some advice on going to a Small Claims Court. I'm in Scotland so it will be in a sheriff court. The figure being disputed is less than £400 and it's a contractual dispute. I will be the defendant.
I feel that right is on my side and can evidence this through a substantial exchange of emails between myself and the litigant.
However, I've been rather alarmed by a friend, whose sibling is a solicitor telling me that the "judges" in small claims court are lay people with little legal training; that they don't even look at hard copies of your evidence but rather let you speak for a few minutes before shutting you down; and that the verdicts are pretty arbitrary.
Does anyone have a more optimistic view of the Small Claims Court? I feel completely deflated by that analysis and would like another perspective on what to expect, how long you usually get to speak, etc.