County Court Hearings
There are currently 216 County Courts in the UK. The County Court will deal with the vast majority of the civil cases. The type of case that they will hear includes:
- Personal injury
- Breach of contract regarding goods or property
- Divorce and other family issues
- The repossession of houses
- Claims for debts
The most common form of case that the County Court is involved with is claims for unpaid debts. The County Court Judgement (CCJ) is handed down by the County Court if a debt has gone unpaid. The County Court also has bailiffs that can be used to recover money that is owed. Note that the Sheriff Court handles claims made on anyone living in Scotland.
Any outstanding CCJs that are not paid within one month are recorded on the Register of County Court Judgements and kept for six years. Credit agencies use this information when deciding whether to grant loans, mortgages or any other form of credit. The County Court does not decide whether a person is guilty or innocent, but looks at the evidence and decides if a debt exists and if this should be repaid.
The CCJ may be handed down after a small claim has been made. The small claims court - based at the County Court - is available to private individuals and businesses that are owed money and have not been able to obtain the money by other means.
The County Court is the foundation of the civil court system in the UK. For most people involved with civil cases, the County Court is where they will go to seek justice and to ask the court to make a judgement on a case they have not been able to resolve themselves.
Contact Us for more information on: 0800 634 4679 or fill out our online form.
