Enforcing a county court judgment

Winning a small claim gives you a judgment, which is a court order that the defendant owes you money. It does not give you the money. The court collects nothing unless you apply, pay a further fee and pick a method that fits the debtor.

Checked against official sources on 30 September 2026. Court fees from 13 July 2026; enforcement agent fees from 1 May 2026.

Key facts

The court does not enforce a judgment automatically: the creditor must apply for a method of enforcement and pay a fee for it.
From 13 July 2026 the fees are: order to obtain information £69, warrant of control £96, High Court writ £82, and £139 each for an attachment of earnings order, a third party debt order and a charging order.
A judgment creditor may use any available method and more than one at the same time or one after another (CPR 70.2(2)).
A warrant of control or High Court writ needs the court's permission if six years or more have passed since the judgment (CPR 83.2(3)(a)).
In April to June 2026 the county court entered 368,000 judgments, 94% of them by default, and issued 59,000 warrants of control.

A judgment is not money

A county court judgment (CCJ) records that the defendant, now the judgment debtor, owes you a sum. HM Courts and Tribunals Service puts it plainly: you can ask the court to collect payment if the debtor does not pay after receiving the order, and you must pay a court fee when you ask. It also warns that it cannot guarantee you will get your money back, so before spending more it is worth asking whether the debtor has anything the court can reach.

Many debtors pay once judgment is entered, because a default judgment goes straight onto the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years unless paid within a month. If that does not work, the methods below are what the rules provide; the enforcement chooser walks through the same questions.

The methods, forms and fees from 13 July 2026

Method	Form	Fee	What it does
Order to obtain information	N316 (individual) or N316A (company officer)	£69 (plus £139 if you ask a county court bailiff to serve it)	Orders the debtor to attend court and answer questions on oath about their means. Produces information, not money.
Warrant of control	N323	£96 (£38 for a further attempt at a new address)	County court enforcement agents (bailiffs) take control of and sell the debtor's goods. County court only for sums under £600; not available for £5,000 or more.
High Court writ of control	N293A	£82	Transfers the judgment to the High Court so a High Court Enforcement Officer can act. Available from £600; compulsory for £5,000 or more if enforcing against goods.
Attachment of earnings order	N337	£139	The debtor's employer deducts from wages and pays the court. Employed individuals only; debt must be at least £50.
Third party debt order	N349	£139 per third party	Takes money a bank, building society or other third party owes the debtor, as at the date the order is served.
Charging order	N379 (land) or N380 (securities)	£139 per order	Secures the debt against the debtor's property; paid when it is sold or remortgaged.

Each fee is added to what the debtor owes. The two goods-based methods are covered in bailiffs and High Court enforcement; the three court orders in attachment of earnings, third party debt and charging orders. Full fee tables are in court fees.

Choosing a method by type of debtor

The right method depends on what the debtor has, not on how much they owe. This table summarises the usual first step; the prospects column is practical judgement rather than statistics.

Debtor's situation	Usual first step	Why, and realistic prospects
Employed individual, employer known	Attachment of earnings (N337, £139)	Reliable but slow; deductions are limited by the protected earnings rate and stop if the debtor changes job without telling the court. Minimum £50 outstanding.
Employed individual, employer unknown	Apply for the attachment of earnings order anyway (the debtor's reply form N56 asks for the employer), or an order to obtain information (N316, £69) first	The N316 route adds a fee and at least 14 days' notice but produces sworn answers; non-attendance risks a suspended committal order.
Self-employed individual or sole trader	Warrant (N323, £96) or, if £600 or more, High Court writ (N293A, £82) against business goods or vehicles; third party debt order (N349, £139) against a business account or a customer who owes them money	No attachment of earnings, as there is no employer. Tools of the trade are exempt up to £1,350 in total and vehicles on finance cannot be taken. An abortive writ costs £82 plus £79 and VAT.
Company	Writ or warrant at the trading address, not just the registered office; third party debt order against the company's bank; statutory demand or winding-up threat if more than £750 is owed	A dormant or dissolved company offers little prospect, so check Companies House first. A winding-up petition costs £2,952 in court fee and deposit before any legal costs.
Owns a house or flat with equity	Charging order (N379, £139), then protect it at HM Land Registry	Cheap security but no cash until sale or remortgage; an order for sale is a separate claim and is discretionary. Combine with a cash-producing method.
Known bank account with funds	Third party debt order (N349, £139)	Catches the balance on the date the bank is served; the bank may deduct £55; the debtor may ask for a hardship payment order; final hearing not less than 28 days after the interim order. You must have evidence of the account, not a guess.
Finances unknown	Order to obtain information (N316, £69; plus £139 if bailiff-served)	Gives the facts to choose; the penal notice and the suspended-committal route often prompt payment.
On benefits only, no assets	Little practical prospect	Benefits are not earnings; basic household goods are exempt; a third party debt order would face a hardship application. The register entry is the main consequence for the debtor. Consider agreeing instalments.
£5,000 or more being enforced against goods (non-Consumer Credit Act)	Must use a High Court writ (N293A) for goods; the three court orders stay in the county court	High Court Enforcement Officer fees are added to the debt; £82 plus £79 and VAT at risk if nothing is recovered.

Rules that apply whichever method you pick

More than one method at once. CPR 70.2(2) lets a judgment creditor use any available method and more than one, either at the same time or one after another. A common pairing is a charging order for security alongside a warrant or attachment of earnings for cash.
Instalment orders need a default first. Where the court ordered payment by instalments, a warrant of control cannot issue until an instalment has been missed (County Courts Act 1984 s.86(1)); it may then be for the whole balance or for a part of not less than £50 or one monthly instalment (CPR 83.15). An attachment of earnings order likewise requires a missed payment.
Breathing Space. If you are told the debtor has a Breathing Space moratorium, you cannot enforce the judgment while it lasts.
Six years. A warrant or writ of control cannot be issued without the court's permission once six years or more have passed since the judgment (CPR 83.2(3)(a)); the application must explain the delay. See time limits.
Interest after judgment. A county court judgment carries statutory interest only if it is for £5,000 or more, so most small-claims judgments do not grow while unpaid. See interest on a debt.

A judgment obtained without proper service can be set aside (CPR 13.3), undoing any enforcement with costs at risk. Check the debtor's address before paying for enforcement.

When the debtor pays

If the debtor pays you directly after you have applied for enforcement, tell the court at once; if a High Court Enforcement Officer is instructed, tell the officer too, because their fees still apply once the debt has been passed to them. In attachment of earnings proceedings the creditor must inform the court officer of any payment (CPR 89.5(6)).

The register is updated on the debtor's application, not automatically. The debtor applies on form N443 with a £19 fee and evidence of payment; your signed statement that the debt has been paid is sufficient (Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005 reg 18). Paid within one month of judgment, the entry is cancelled; paid later, it is marked satisfied and stays for six years. If you do not answer the court's request to confirm payment within a month, the certificate issues anyway. "Satisfied" means paid in full, so if you accept less, record the agreement in writing and confirm satisfaction in it. See the CCJ register.

Realistic prospects and the numbers

In April to June 2026 the county court entered 368,000 judgments, 94% of them default judgments, and issued 59,000 warrants of control (44% more than a year earlier), along with 1,700 attachment of earnings orders, 210 third party debt orders and 5,100 charging orders. No official statistic shows what proportion of judgments is eventually paid.

HMCTS guidance is candid about warrants: they help only if the debtor has the money or enough goods at the address you give that could be sold at auction; agents will not usually take second-hand furniture or electrical items that would fetch little; and if a further visit finds nothing, the warrant has run its course. For a company, give the address where it actually trades. In late September 2026 the Civil National Business Centre was taking 14 working days before starting to process a paper warrant request.

Many claimants find that the register entry, a firm letter and an offer of instalments produce payment more cheaply than enforcement. If not, the enforcement chooser and ClaimsBot can help you weigh the options, and find help near me lists organisations that assist people acting without a lawyer.

Ask ClaimsBot about this

Have a question this guide does not answer? ClaimsBot gives general information from the rules and official guidance. It is not advice about your case.

Ask ClaimsBot Start my claim

Sources

Quick answers

Does the court chase the debtor for me after judgment?

No. The judgment records the debt; the court takes no step to collect it unless you apply for a method of enforcement and pay the fee for that method.

Which enforcement method should I use for a small claim?

It depends on the debtor. An employed individual points to an attachment of earnings order; a known bank account to a third party debt order; goods or vehicles to a warrant or writ of control; property to a charging order. If you know nothing, an order to obtain information (£69) makes the debtor answer on oath.

Can I use two enforcement methods at the same time?

Yes. CPR 70.2(2) lets a judgment creditor use any available method and more than one, at the same time or one after another. A warrant against goods does, however, need the court's permission while an attachment of earnings order is in force.

The judgment says pay by instalments. Can I enforce now?

Only after the debtor misses an instalment. A warrant cannot issue until there has been a default (County Courts Act 1984 s.86), and an attachment of earnings order also requires a missed payment.

How long do I have to enforce a judgment?

A warrant or writ of control can be issued without permission for six years from the judgment; after that you must apply for permission and explain the delay (CPR 83.2). Limitation Act 1980 s.24 also bars a fresh action on the judgment after six years.

Does my judgment earn interest while unpaid?

Only if the county court judgment is for £5,000 or more, when it carries interest at 8% a year. Smaller judgments carry no statutory interest after judgment, although a judgment transferred to the High Court is issued for interest from the date of transfer per form N293A.

What do I do when the debtor pays?

Tell the court and any enforcement agent immediately. When the debtor applies for a certificate of satisfaction or cancellation on form N443, your signed statement that the debt is paid is enough evidence; if you do not respond to the court within a month, the certificate issues anyway.

Is it worth enforcing against someone on benefits with no assets?

Usually there is little practical prospect. Benefits are not earnings for an attachment of earnings order, basic household goods are exempt from seizure, and a third party debt order would face a hardship application. Agreeing instalments may recover more than enforcement.