Small Claims Court in the UK

What is the Small Claims Court?

There is no separate court named “the small claims court”.  What these cases refer to are what the court considers to be low value claims (generally below £10,000).  These cases are dealt with by the County Court.

Small Claims Hearing

Generally speaking, your legal costs are not recoverable from your opponent if you are successful in your claim at trial (there are some exceptions and some items, such as court fees, are always recoverable).

To prepare for the hearing you will need to prepare witness statements and provide any documentation that you intend to rely upon.

The court expects you to try to settle your claim without a hearing (trial) even when court proceedings have been started.

A small claims trial will generally be for no longer than 1 day and the judge would usually expect to see all witnesses present on the day of the trial.

Examples of Cases heard as Small Claims Matters

The court typically hears small claims for less than £10,000 that concern any area of civil law.

For example:

  • Pursuing unpaid invoices:
  • Breach of contract claims;
  • Sale of goods and services disputes;
  • Claims for unpaid rent;
  • Building disputes;
  • Professional negligence claims.

Small Claims Court Process

Firstly, you should contact the other party to try and resolve the dispute before issuing a claim.

If this is unsuccessful, you should send a formal Letter of Claim to the other party. If the other party decides not to reply to your letter, you may wish to consider issuing the claim at court.

Most importantly, it is usually beneficial to secure legal advice before bringing legal action.

If you require further advice then please contact

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