A court claim form has arrived
You have 14 days from service to respond, or 28 days if you file an acknowledgement of service within the first 14. Here is exactly what to do, what they can and cannot do, and where to get free help today.
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.
What to do now
- Check the date of service and diarise the deadline immediately.
- Decide whether you admit the debt, dispute it, or dispute part of it. All three are options on the form.
- If you dispute it, file a defence. Common defences include the debt being statute-barred after six years, the amount being wrong, or the claimant not owning the debt.
- If you admit it but cannot pay in full, complete the admission form with an offer of instalments and a full income and expenditure statement.
- If you can pay in full within one month of judgment, the CCJ can be removed from the register entirely.
- Get free advice before filing anything — National Debtline and Citizens Advice both help with this specific form, at no cost.
What else you need to know
A statute-barred defence is worth checking. Under the Limitation Act 1980, most unsecured debts in England and Wales cannot be enforced through the courts after six years with no payment and no written acknowledgement. The debt is not written off, but the claim will fail if you raise limitation. Scotland's period is five years. Never acknowledge a debt in writing if you think it may be statute-barred, until you have taken advice.
Where to get help today, free
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.
If you are in crisis and struggling to cope, Samaritans can be reached free on 116 123, at any hour, from any phone.
Once the immediate pressure is off
Understanding your longer-term options is the thing that stops this happening again. Eight questions, and we will show you what applies where you live.
Related guides
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