Claims proceeding in the Royal Courts of Justice fell by over 70% between 1997 (32,820) and 2003 (9,400) according to a study published by Macfarlanes. However, in 2006 there was a slight increase from 9,475 to 10,195, with a 25% increase taking into account district registry and Companies Court claims. This trend corresponds with the perception that litigation declines in times of economic prosperity and stability and thrives in an adverse economic downturn. So, if the pessimistic predictions for the economy are fulfilled, there are good times ahead for litigation.