A writ of summons usually called ‘a writ’ is one of the modes an action may commence in civil proceedings. A writ of summons is a formal document addressed to the defendant requiring him to enter an appearance personally or by a solicitor and state that in case of default of appearance, the plaintiff may proceed with the action and judgment may be given in the defendant’s absence.
A writ contains formal indorsements and is accompanied by indorsements of claim which states the plaintiff’s claim. An indorsement of claim may be special or general. A writ is said to be specially indorsed when it contains a statement of claim thus, a special indorsement of claim is a statement of claim appearing on a writ while a general indorsement of claim states the summary of the claim and is served together with the writ.
A formal indorsement must appear on a writ whether specially indorsed or not. Formal indorsements include plaintiff’s address for service or the solicitor’s name and address for service, etc.
https://lawstudentaide.com/2018/12/11/writ-of-summons/