Procedural table

Overview of small claims procedure

Here's an overview of the small claims procedure, which is a simplified legal process for resolving disputes involving relatively small amounts of money, typically without the need for a lawyer.

Procedure table

Before the start of action

At the start of the court action

When the court receives the claimant papers

14 days after service

28 days after service

After filing of defence

14 days after receiving allocation questionnaire

Before the hearing

Within 21 days of the date of the decision

Before issuing a small claim in the UK (typically under £10,000 in England and Wales), you must follow a few important steps to ensure you're complying with legal procedures and to increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Before making a claim, you’re expected to make reasonable attempts to resolve the issue directly with the other party.

Communicate clearly: Call, email, or write to them stating the problem and what you want to resolve it.
Keep records: Save all correspondence, receipts, agreements, and evidence.
Set a deadline: Give them a clear time frame to respond (usually 14–30 days).

Use the official UK Government service:

Online: Make a Money Claim
For straightforward monetary claims
Paper Form (Form N1):
Available via gov.uk
Send to: County Court Money Claims Center

When the court receives the claimant's papers in a small claims case in the UK (typically submitted via Money Claim Online (MCOL) or a paper form N1)

Once the court receives the claim form and the court fee:

The claim is officially "issued".
The court assigns a claim number and serves (sends) the claim to the defendant (usually via post).
This is called "service of the claim".
The date of service is usually 5 calendar days after the issue date (unless served by another method).

In the UK Small Claims Court, 14 days after service of a Claim Form (i.e. the court papers being served on the defendant), the following things may happen depending on how the defendant responds:

From the date of service, the defendant has 14 days to:

Pay the full amount claimed (if they agree with the claim).
Acknowledge service of the claim (to get extra time).
File a defence (if they dispute the claim).

In the UK, small claims proceedings are part of the civil court system, and specific steps and deadlines are involved after a claim is served. Here's what happens 28 days after service of the claim:

Once the claim form is served on the defendant, they have a strict timeline to respond

14 days from the date of service to:
- Acknowledge service (gives them more time), or
- File a defence.
If they acknowledge service, they get 28 days from the date of service to file a defense.

After a Defence is filed in the Small Claims Court (UK), several steps follow depending on how the case progresses. Here’s a breakdown of what typically happens:

Once the defendant files their Defence:

The court and claimant will receive a copy.
The court may acknowledge receipt and provide guidance on next steps

If you're 14 days after receiving a Directions Questionnaire (also known as the Allocation Questionnaire) in a Small Claims case in the UK, here’s what you need to know and what steps to take, depending on your situation.The Directions Questionnaire must typically be returned within 14 days of the date it was served (usually from the date on the Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track from the court).

If you have a small claims hearing coming up in the UK, here's a checklist and guidance to help you prepare effectively.

Make sure you're 100% clear on:

What the claim is (what you're claiming or defending)
The amount involved
What the other side is saying
Any evidence submitted by both parties

You can review all documents via MCOL (Money Claim Online) or the court bundle if it's been sent.

In the UK Small Claims Court, the phrase “within 21 days of the date of the decision” typically refers to the time limit for filing an appeal or applying to set aside a judgment. Here’s how it generally works:

You have 21 calendar days from the date the judgment or decision was made to take certain legal actions, such as:

Appealing the decision, or
Applying to set aside a default judgment (if you didn’t attend the hearing or were unaware of the claim).