A guide to the rules governing the conduct of parties, including what steps the parties are expected to take, before issuing a claim. This note considers the effect of the Practice Direction on Pre-action Conduct and Protocols (Pre-action PD) and the pre-action protocols for specific types of claim. It also considers the consequences of non-compliance and failure to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and the extent to which a party may seek to recover costs incurred before issue of proceedings, providing a number of tips for both claimants and defendants.