How to issue a claim

The process of issuing a claim is relatively straightforward but the consequences of doing so should not be taken lightly.

Once the parties have embarked on the court process, it can be difficult to suspend it.  The process is designed to bring the parties to a final hearing in a simple and efficient manner and without delay.  We strongly recommend that, before you issue a claim, you ensure that you have taken every possible step to resolve the dispute by other means, before incurring the court fees and other costs that may be involved in issuing proceedings.

If you wish to issue a claim without taking legal advice, it is now possible to issue a simple debt recovery claim using the money claims on-line process.  There is a similar procedure for recovering possession of premises available at possession claims on-line.

Details of the court fees that will apply can be found using one of the links in our links section.

Court rules require that, before you issue a claim, you should have written a letter of claim (see below). Failure to do this can put at risk your right to recover the costs of issuing proceedings even if you win your case.