I received a County Court Judgment, what do I do?

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a court order made against you requiring payment of a debt. If you are surprised to receive one, it may have been obtained without your knowledge — for example, if the claim was sent to an old address and you never had an opportunity to defend.

Your options within 30 days of judgment: apply to have the CCJ set aside (cancelled) under CPR 13 if you were not properly served, have a real prospect of defending the claim, or have some other good reason. If set aside, you can then defend or admit the claim properly. There is a court fee for this application.

If you accept the debt is owed: contact the court and the claimant to offer payment. You can apply (Form N245) to vary the payment terms if you cannot pay the amount required by the judgment. A court will consider your income and expenditure and may order payment by instalments.

If you pay the full amount within 30 days of the CCJ being entered, you can apply to have the judgment "satisfied" (marked as paid) on the Register of Judgments. This is better than a paid CCJ but the record remains for six years. If you pay after 30 days, the CCJ is marked as satisfied on the register but does not disappear.

Ignoring a CCJ leads to enforcement. Creditors can use High Court Enforcement Officers (bailiffs), attachment of earnings orders, charging orders on property, or third-party debt orders against your bank account.

Check whether the claim was properly served and whether you have any defence before deciding how to proceed.