How Long Does a County Court Money Claim Take in England and Wales?

The honest answer is "it depends on whether the other side fights it." An undefended money claim can produce a judgment in five to eight weeks. A defended claim that goes through mediation, directions and a hearing typically takes four to eight months — and sometimes longer if the court's listing diary is full.

Stage-by-stage timeline

Filing to issue: 1–7 days

Online claims through OCMC are usually issued within one to three working days. Paper form N1 filings sent to the Civil National Business Centre in Northampton take longer — typically five to seven working days, plus postal transit time each way.

Service on the defendant: 1–5 days

For online claims, HMCTS serves the claim form by first-class post. The deemed date of service is the second business day after posting. For paper claims, the court posts the claim pack to the defendant unless you asked to serve it yourself.

Defendant's response window: 14–28 days

The defendant normally has 14 days after service of the claim form (or, if particulars of claim are served separately, after service of the particulars) to acknowledge service or respond. An acknowledgment of service extends the deadline for a defence to 28 days after service of the particulars of claim.

If no defence is filed: default judgment in 1–3 weeks

When the defendant does not respond, you can apply for default judgment. Online applications through OCMC are processed within a few days. Paper applications take one to three weeks. Either way, you get a court order without a hearing.

After a defence is filed: what happens next

This is where the process slows down. Once a defence is filed:

1. Directions questionnaire — for a paper claim, both sides usually receive form N180 after the defence and must return it by the date in the notice. OCMC uses its online directions process; if the claim is sent out of the pilot, the online questionnaires are treated as N180 forms.
2. Track allocation — the court considers the claim value and other allocation rules. The small claims track is the normal track for most straightforward claims up to £10,000, but some claim types have lower limits and allocation is not automatic. This typically takes two to four weeks after the questionnaires are returned.
3. Mediation where the pilot applies — Practice Direction 51ZE runs through 6 April 2027. It provides for automatic referral of eligible claims to the Small Claims Mediation Service (SCMS); road traffic accident and other personal injury claims are excluded. For OCMC claims, the referral follows a defence if the claimant confirms they wish to continue and has not opted out. HMCTS contacts the parties to arrange a free one-hour telephone session. If mediation settles the dispute, the proceedings are stayed unless the parties agree to discontinue or dismiss the claim.
4. Hearing date — if mediation does not resolve the case, the court lists a hearing. Small claims hearing slots are typically six to twelve weeks after mediation fails, though busy courts (particularly in London and the South East) can take longer.
5. Judgment — the district judge usually gives judgment on the day of the hearing, though they can reserve judgment and send it by post within a few days.

Total timeline for a defended claim

What causes delays

Adjournments — either side can ask the court to postpone the hearing. A single adjournment adds six to twelve weeks.

Transfer between courts — if the defendant is an individual, the case automatically transfers to their local county court for the hearing. The transfer itself can take a few weeks.

Court backlogs — some hearing centres have longer wait times than others. You cannot choose which court the case transfers to (it follows the defendant's address).

Incomplete paperwork — if you leave fields blank on the claim form or make errors on N180, the court sends it back and you lose the time it takes to correct and resubmit.

After judgment: enforcement timeline

Winning a judgment does not automatically put money in your account. If the defendant does not pay voluntarily, you need to apply for enforcement — a warrant of control, an attachment of earnings order or a charging order. Each enforcement method has its own application fee and timeline, typically adding another two to six months.

The County Court Money Claim Guide includes a step-by-step deadline calendar so you can track each stage and know exactly what to expect at every point in the process.

See more England and Wales guides →