CASE FILE — INTRODUCTION
The Claim File
Fifteen records on the small claims process in England and Wales, from letter before action to enforcement.
THE CLAIM FILE is a set of case records covering the small claims process in England and Wales. Each record documents one stage of the process, or one claim type: procedure, deadlines, fees, and likely outcomes, stated as fact.
This file is not written to reassure. It is maintained for use.
The file covers claims up to £10,000, the small claims track limit for most disputes in England and Wales. It documents the procedural stages common to all claims — eligibility, letter before action, court fees, filing, the hearing, and enforcement — and four claim types in detail: faulty goods, deposit disputes, unpaid invoices, and poor workmanship.
Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate small claims systems. Both are outside the scope of this file.
Records are listed in the file index, numbered REC-00 to REC-14. There is no prescribed reading order. Locate the record matching your position — before a claim is issued, during proceedings, or after judgment — and proceed from there.
Records In This File
- REC-01 — How To Make A Claim
The core procedure, from cause of action to judgment.
- REC-02 — Letter Before Action
The pre-action letter required before most claims proceed.
- REC-03 — Claim Eligibility
What qualifies for the small claims track, and what does not.
- REC-04 — Court Fees
Court fees by claim value, and how they are calculated.
- REC-05 — Money Claim Online
Filing a claim through the Money Claim Online service.
- REC-06 — The Hearing
What happens at a small claims hearing, and how the file is prepared.
- REC-07 — Enforcement
Enforcement options once judgment is obtained and unpaid.
- REC-08 — Faulty Goods
Claims for goods that do not conform to contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
- REC-09 — Deposit Disputes
Disputes over the return of tenancy deposits.
- REC-10 — Unpaid Invoices
Recovering payment for invoiced work or goods.
- REC-11 — Poor Workmanship
Claims arising from substandard building or trade work.
- REC-12 — Mediation
The pre-hearing mediation requirement, and the consequences of non-engagement.
- REC-13 — Defending A Claim
Procedure and timelines for a defendant response.
- REC-14 — About
Scope of this file, and what it is not.