How to Make a Small Claim in Northern Ireland

Before You File: The Demand Letter

The process starts before you go near a court form. Write a formal Letter Before Claim to the person or business that owes you money. Set out who you are, what is owed, how the debt arose, and a firm deadline for payment — typically 14 to 21 days. Attach copies of any supporting documents: invoices, contracts, photographs, text messages.

This letter is not optional. It demonstrates to the court that you tried to resolve the dispute before filing. If you skip it, a District Judge may ask why you did not give the other side a chance to pay first.

Check the Respondent's Details

Get the respondent's full legal name and current address right. This matters more than most people realise: a decree issued against the wrong name or a stale address can be unenforceable.

• Individuals: full legal forename and surname, residential address
• Sole traders: individual name plus trading name (e.g. "John Doe trading as Doe Plumbing Services")
• Companies: exact registered name from Companies House, plus the registered office address — not a trading address

If you are unsure whether the respondent has existing unpaid judgments, you can run a search through the Enforcement of Judgments Office (EJO) for £28. Multiple unsatisfied judgments are a warning that recovering money may be difficult even if you win.

Filing the Application

Northern Ireland small claims are filed centrally through the Civil Processing Centre (CPC) at Laganside Courts, Belfast — not at your local courthouse. You have two options:

Online: Through the Small Claims Online portal on the Department of Justice website. You register an account, complete the application, pay by card, and can track progress outside court office hours.

Paper: Post the completed NICTS Small Claims Application Form with a cheque or postal order payable to "Northern Ireland Courts & Tribunals Service" to the CPC. Include three copies if filing on paper.

Do not use English court forms. Form N1, Money Claim Online, and anything from HM Courts & Tribunals Service are for England and Wales only and will be returned.

The filing fee depends on the claim amount: £49 for claims up to £300, scaling to £244 for claims between £3,001 and £5,000. Low-income applicants can apply for fee remission using Form ER1.

What Happens After You File

The CPC verifies your application, registers the case, and posts a Small Claims Pack to the respondent. The respondent then has 21 calendar days to do one of three things:

1. Pay in full — they send the money directly to you, case closed
2. Accept liability — they return Form 126B proposing a payment plan
3. Dispute the claim — they return Form 126A, and the case transfers to the local County Court for a hearing

If 21 days pass with no response, you can apply for a default decree — a judgment in your favour without a hearing.

The Hearing

If the claim is disputed, a hearing date is set at the County Court venue you selected on the application. NICTS targets listing 90% of disputed cases within 10 weeks of a completed application.

The hearing is informal. The District Judge asks questions, reviews your evidence, and lets both sides explain their position. There is no formal cross-examination or legal argument required. You present your case, the respondent presents theirs, and the judge issues a decree.

Bring originals of every document you submitted — contracts, invoices, receipts, photographs, correspondence. Organise them chronologically with page numbers.

After the Decree

If the judge finds in your favour, the respondent is ordered to pay. But the court does not collect the money for you. If the respondent does not pay voluntarily, you serve a Notice of Intent to Enforce (£31 fee, 10-day grace period), then apply to the EJO for formal enforcement.

The Northern Ireland Small Claims Filing Guide covers every step in detail, with printable worksheets for the demand letter, the application, evidence bundling, and the EJO hand-off.

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