A county court claim is how you ask a court in England and Wales to decide that a business still owes you an unpaid commercial invoice. GOV.UK says you can apply to a county court to claim money you are owed by a person or business, online or by post. It used to be known as taking someone to a “small claims court”.
It is not a letter before action. It is not a demand from a debt collection agency. The court issues the claim. An agency cannot.
Debt Collection UK (a trading style of PASECOM GROUP LTD) introduces B2B files to independent partner agencies. We are not solicitors, we are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we do not collect consumer credit. PASECOM GROUP LTD was incorporated on 7 April 2026. We do not issue proceedings. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Do you have to send a letter before action first?
Yes, in substance. Practice Direction – Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols expects the parties to exchange enough information to understand each other’s position and try to settle before proceedings start. Litigation is a last resort (paragraph 8).
Where no specific protocol applies, paragraph 6 says the claimant should write with concise details of the claim: the basis, a summary of the facts, what is wanted, and if money, how the amount is calculated. The defendant should have a reasonable time to reply — 14 days in a straightforward case , and no more than three months in a very complex one.
That letter is what commercial recovery usually calls a letter before action (what to include). Company versus company sits outside the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims. If the debtor is a sole trader or other individual, send a Letter of Claim on the Debt PAP timetable instead. The split is who the debtor is, not whether the invoice looks commercial.
Skip a proper letter and the court can take non-compliance into account on case management and costs (paragraphs 13 to 16). The Practice Direction does not extend limitation (paragraph 17). This article is about England and Wales. GOV.UK notes a different process in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How to make a county court claim online or by post
GOV.UK is the process. You can claim online unless you do not know the amount, you are claiming on behalf of more than one person or organisation, the claim is against three or more people or organisations, you or the defendant do not have an address in England or Wales, or the claim is against a government department. Claim by post if you cannot claim online.
Online. You will be asked for the name, address and email of the person or business you are claiming against, and a debit or credit card for the court fee (or a help-with-fees reference). The fee is calculated for you.
By post. Download and fill in paper claim form N1. Send it to the Civil National Business Centre, St Katharines House, 21–27 St Katharine’s Street, Northampton, NN1 2LH, with the fee.
The court fee is based on the amount you are claiming, plus any interest. GOV.UK publishes the bands. You may have to pay more later — for a hearing, or to get a judgment enforced. You may be able to claim the fees back if you win. Winning is not the same as being paid.
You can claim interest. For another business, GOV.UK points to interest on a late commercial payment. Set the figures out honestly. A knowingly false statement in a pre-action letter may be contempt of court (Practice Direction, paragraph 2).
The court issues the claim and sends it to the defendant. Uploading an invoice to this site does not start that. A partner debt collection agency can prepare the file. What a UK debt collection agency can (and cannot) do is set out separately. We introduce the file. We do not issue proceedings.
What happens after the court issues the claim?
GOV.UK: your claim, including your name and address, is sent to the defendant. They must respond. You are told the date they need to respond by.
HMCTS guidance for defendants (N1C) states that if the claim form was received with the particulars of claim completed or attached, they must reply within 14 days of the date it was served. If they do not reply, a judgment may be entered against them. They can pay, admit all or part and ask for time to pay, or dispute the claim.
If there is no response, or they refuse to pay, you can ask the court to order them to pay: request a judgment online, or use form N225 (specified amount) or N227 (unspecified) if you used a paper claim form.
If they dispute the claim you may have a hearing. For claims of £10,000 or less that are disputed, GOV.UK says you will be told you must attend mediation organised by the court. The Practice Direction treats silence on ADR as something the court can mark in costs (paragraph 11).
Is a county court judgment the same as getting paid?
No. GOV.UK is blunt: a judgment means the court has formally decided that the money is owed. It explains how much, how to pay, the deadline, and who to pay. It is not a cheque.
If the judgment is ignored, you can ask the court to collect payment. That is a separate application and a further fee. GOV.UK lists the usual tools: a warrant of control (the court can send bailiffs), an attachment of earnings, a third-party debt order, or a charging order. On a county court warrant of control you must be owed £5,000 or less. None of those powers start when you send an LBA, instruct an agency, or upload an invoice.
An agency is not a bailiff. An introducer is not a High Court Enforcement Officer. Taking control of goods is for certified or exempt enforcement agents after a warrant or writ — not for a demand letter. The court cannot guarantee you will get the money.
Who issues the claim?
You do, as the creditor, or a solicitor if you instruct one. The court then issues it. A partner agency can say whether a claim is the next honest step. That is a view, not reserved legal work. We will not pretend an agency letter is a claim form.
If reminders have already failed and the invoice is not genuinely disputed, pass the unpaid invoice via the secure claim form. We introduce a partner. You remain the creditor. You decide whether to litigate. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a county court claim without a solicitor?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can apply to a county court to claim money you are owed by a person or business, online or by post. Instruct a solicitor if you want a law firm to run it.
Can a debt collection agency issue the claim for me?
No. The court issues the claim. An unauthorised agency cannot conduct litigation as your lawyer. A partner can prepare the file. You issue, or you instruct a solicitor. We do not issue proceedings.
Do I have to send a letter before action before I claim?
The court expects the Practice Direction or the relevant protocol to have been followed. For a straightforward company debt that is a concise letter and a reasonable time to reply, usually 14 days. For a sole trader, follow the Debt PAP Letter of Claim.
How long does the defendant have to reply?
HMCTS N1C: 14 days from service if particulars of claim were served with the claim form. If they do not reply, a judgment may be entered against them.
Does a CCJ mean I will be paid?
No. A judgment is a court decision that the money is owed. Enforcement is a further step, with a further fee, and the court cannot guarantee recovery.
Can Debt Collection UK take the debtor’s goods or send bailiffs?
No. We introduce B2B files. We are not solicitors, we are not FCA-authorised, and we are not enforcement agents. A warrant of control is a court process after a judgment, not something that starts when you instruct us.