County Court judgments: the process and how to respond

Are you worried about a County Court Judgement (CCJ) process? Perhaps you’re stressed about a bailiff coming to your home or taking your things.

We understand your concerns and are here to help. Each month, over 170,000 people visit our website for guidance on debt solutions.

In this guide, we’ll answer questions about the CCJ process, such as:

•  What is a County Court Judgement?
•  How does the CCJ process work?
•  Can you get a warning before a CCJ?
•  How to stop a CCJ from happening?

Citizens Advice estimate households have around £18.9 billion in unpaid bills like council tax and utilities¹. So it’s quite common to feel concerned about debt.

We know how it feels and want to help make things easier for you. Let’s find the right solution for your debt worries!

What is a County Court Judgement (CCJ)?

This guide concerns County Court money judgments in England and Wales. Northern Ireland and Scotland have different procedures.

A claim form and a judgment are different stages of the process.

If you don’t pay or refuse to pay the money owed, the other person or company (the creditor) could force you to pay by getting a court to issue you with a County Court Judgement (CCJ).

But the claimant must follow a strict County Court Judgement process to make a debtor legally obligated to pay.

How does a County Court Judgement work?

A County Court judgment orders payment. Separate enforcement procedures may be available if it is not complied with; the judgment itself is not a bailiff warrant.

They do so by issuing a:

1. Judgement forthwith – this is when the debtor must pay the full amount on one payment
2. Judgement by instalments – this is when the debtor pays off the debt over multiple repayments based on affordability

If the instalments are unaffordable, seek advice promptly about redetermination or variation. The route, deadline and possible fee depend on how the judgment was made.

Do not assume that every change request follows the same redetermination procedure.

You must satisfy the judgment, or the claimant could take further action, which I discuss towards the end of this guide. 

How to respond to a County Court Judgment claim

You can always get help and support responding to a CCJ claim against you by speaking with debt charities or Citizens Advice. 

An adviser has the necessary experience to explain the various court procedures a case entails.

The three possible responses are:

1. Admit all or part of the claim and provide accurate financial information if requesting time to pay

2. Filing a defence if you disagree you owe the money

3. Submit an acknowledgement of service if you wish to fight the claim but need more time to prepare.

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The importance of legal advice

I suggest you seek legal advice if you’re worried or stressed out about receiving a CCJ claim form.

Plus, an adviser will help you fill out the claim form correctly.

Free debt advisers and suitable legal advice services can help, but not every not-for-profit organisation provides legal advice.

Do you get a warning before a CCJ is sent?

A claimant must follow the applicable pre-action and service requirements, but do not assume that every debt follows the same sequence of warnings.

Depending on the debt, relevant documents may include:

• A letter of claim under the applicable pre-action procedure
• A statutory default notice where required for the regulated agreement and enforcement step See related guidance.

A court claim form starts proceedings. It is not already a judgment; respond by the stated deadline even while discussing payment or a complaint. See related guidance.

How to prevent getting a County Court Judgment

If you dispute liability, file the appropriate defence on time. The court, rather than the collector, decides an unresolved defended claim. See related guidance.

A court may enter judgment for an amount found due. The outcome depends on the case and how it is resolved, not an automatic rule whenever any part is disputed.

How long do you get to reply?

A claim form starts court proceedings; it is not already a judgment. Follow the response route and deadline on the papers. Under the usual England-and-Wales procedure, a defence is due 14 days after service of the particulars, or 28 days if a timely acknowledgement of service is filed; exceptions and digital procedures can apply.

If a required response is not filed, the claimant may seek default judgment where the rules allow. It is not automatically issued at midnight on day 14.

As you haven’t replied to the CCJ claim, the court won’t have information regarding your personal finances and, therefore, may tell you to pay in unaffordable repayments. 

How long does a CCJ take to process?

Processing time depends on the route, the court’s workload and whether the claim is defended. Do not rely on a fixed few-days-to-weeks promise.

The timeframe is subject to change and could depend on the complexity of the case. 

The required pre-action steps depend on the debt. The Debt Claims Protocol usually gives an individual at least 30 days to reply to a business’s letter of claim. A Consumer Credit Act default notice is a separate requirement for specified enforcement steps on relevant regulated agreements, not a universal letter sent after every letter of claim.

The usual defence deadline runs from service of the particulars of claim, not from a generic sequence of debt-collection letters. Check the actual papers and any applicable exception.

There is no universal two-month timetable. Respond to each relevant deadline rather than estimating when judgment might arrive.

Costs Associated with the CCJ Process

A court fee must be paid when a claim is made. The cost depends on the value of a claim plus interest.

I’ve listed the fees due on known amounts in the table below.

Claim amount	Court fees
Up to £300	£35
£300.01 to £500	£50
£500.01 to £1,000	£70
£1,000.01 to £1,500	£80
£1,500.01 to £3,000	£115
£3,000.01 to £5,000	£205
£5,000.01 to £10,000	£455
£10,000.01 to £200,000	5% of claim
More than £200,000	£10,000

What is setting aside a judgment?

For a default judgment, CPR 13.2 requires a set-aside where judgment was wrongly entered. Under CPR 13.3 the court may set it aside where there is a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or another good reason; promptness matters. A set-aside normally reopens the claim rather than cancelling the underlying debt.

But it doesn’t mean the debt is written off.

Setting aside judgment usually reopens the existing claim; it does not necessarily require the creditor to start a completely new legal action.

How to get it set aside

N244 is commonly used to apply to set aside a County Court judgment. It is different from the admission or defence response to a claim that has not yet reached judgment. See related guidance.

Act promptly and explain the relevant legal ground and evidence. A fee may apply, with possible Help with Fees.

A wrongly entered default judgment falls under mandatory CPR 13.2 grounds. The discretionary CPR 13.3 route has different tests; do not assume every application requires the same combination of procedural error and defence.

There’s a good chance that you’ll need to attend a court hearing to get the CCJ set aside. 

How much does it affect your credit score?

There is no universal number of credit-score points lost because of a CCJ. Agencies use different scoring systems and lenders make their own assessments.

Missed payments and defaults can also affect the record. Their impact depends on the history and scoring model.

Avoid fixed point-loss comparisons as a prediction of your own score. Check the accuracy of the underlying credit records.

How serious is a County Court Judgement?

A County Court Judgement is serious and needs to be dealt with.

The legal ramifications should not be overlooked.

If you don’t pay the debt as expected after the CCJ has been issued, the claimant can go back to the court and request permission to enforce the debt by various means. 

The court might give the claimant permission to collect the debt by:

1. Using bailiffs – the bailiff (enforcement officer) will follow a strict process to collect the money owed by coming to the debtor’s home and possibly by seizing their goods to be sold at an auction. Bailiffs charge expensive fees for their work which get added to the total owed.

2. An attachment of earnings order can require an employer to deduct from eligible earnings, with protections and exclusions. It is not the same as deductions from benefits. See related guidance.

3. A charging order secures a judgment against an eligible interest in property. If the property is sold, the debt may need to be paid from the proceeds, subject to the type of interest and other claims. A charging order does not itself require a sale: the creditor normally needs a separate order-for-sale application to force one. See related guidance.

Your Rights With Bailiffs

If you’re dealing with bailiffs, it’s crucial to understand your rights. This way, you’ll prevent unfair treatment and other unpleasant situations.

I’ve put together this table that explains what bailiffs can and can’t do. For more information, be sure to read our detailed guide.

Bailiffs may	Important limits
Visit under a valid enforcement power	Normally at least 14 clear days’ notice is required before taking control of goods; courts can shorten notice. An eligible debt-advice request can extend it to 28 clear days.
Take non-exempt goods belonging to the debtor	They cannot take ordinary essential household items or someone else’s property. Some jointly owned goods may be affected.
Take a vehicle where legally permitted	Ownership, finance, disability and other exemptions must be checked. ANPR does not remove those limits.
Enter through a door when lawful	For ordinary civil debts they usually cannot force first entry to a home. A CCJ by itself is not a power to break in.
Enter into a controlled goods agreement	Ask for a clear inventory and terms; breaking an agreement can have serious consequences.
Sell goods under the enforcement rules	Notice and sale requirements apply. Get advice if you dispute ownership, exemption, entry or fees.

England and Wales only. Tools and equipment needed personally for work, study or education have a combined exemption limit of £1,350. The rules differ elsewhere in the UK.

Our financial expert, Janine Marsh, advises on letting a bailiff into your home: ‘It’s crucial you check who they are before you open your door. Ask for their certificate through the letterbox or a window.’

The main stages

The County Court Judgement process can be summarised in the following steps:

1. Letter of claim
2. Any separate statutory notice required for the particular agreement and action
3. CCJ claim pack

Then, depending on how you respond to the CCJ claim, you may or may not be issued a CCJ.

References

1. Citizens Advice – Debt Statistics and Bailiff Issues
2. StepChange – Creditor and Debt Collector Conduct