Responding to a money claim

A money claim needs a response through the procedure identified in the court's papers. Contacting the claimant to discuss the invoice does not itself file a defence or protect the court deadline. ^[1]

Read the claim before choosing a response

Record the claim number, court or online service, issue details and stated response date. Compare the particulars with the contract and payment history. Identify whether the whole amount is admitted, only part is admitted or liability is disputed.

Preserve the envelope and electronic notification where service timing may matter. If papers are incomplete or the defendant is wrongly named, raise that promptly with the adviser rather than ignoring the claim.

Use the correct procedural step

Follow the applicable process for admission, acknowledgement, defence or counterclaim. If more time is needed, establish how a valid extension can be obtained. A private promise from the claimant should not be assumed to alter the court's timetable without the required steps.

A disputed-invoice defence should identify the actual reasons. Old-address service requires separate analysis if the claim was discovered late. Keep submission confirmation and check that the response covers the claim actually issued, including additional sums challenged.

Open a response file immediately Put the claim, particulars, accompanying instructions and delivery evidence together as soon as they are received. Record who first opened the papers and when they reached the person responsible for responding. In a business, reception staff, a registered office provider and the finance team may each hold part of the history. Nominate one coordinator so that the claim is not passed around while everyone assumes somebody else is dealing with it. Keep the original notification available even if an adviser receives a scanned copy.

Identify the response service from the official papers and check that you can access it before the deadline approaches. A saved login for an unrelated government service may not be the correct account. If a reference or access code does not work, record the problem and seek help through the official route promptly. Avoid assuming that an attempted login or an email asking for technical assistance counts as a procedural response. The government's guidance directs defendants to follow the method and timing specified for their claim. ^[1]

Break the claim into decisions you can answer Separate the principal debt, interest, charges and any court costs shown. Compare each part with the transaction records, marking what is accepted, what is disputed and what cannot yet be assessed. A claim may contain a correct invoice amount but omit a payment, or combine several invoices when only one is challenged. Give the adviser the actual calculation rather than a general statement that the figure is wrong. This makes it possible to choose a response that accurately reflects the defendant's position.

Distinguish disagreement about liability from inability to pay an admitted debt. They raise different questions and can require different response steps. If the concern is affordability, assemble realistic income, expenditure or business cash-flow information for the appropriate process. If the concern is defective performance, locate the complaint and supporting evidence. Where both arise, explain them separately. Do not use an unsupported denial simply to obtain more time, or make a broad admission before understanding a genuine issue about the identity or amount of the obligation.

Give an adviser a usable urgent handover When asking for help, lead with the response date stated in the papers and any uncertainty about service. Send the claim itself before a long narrative of the commercial relationship. Add a short explanation of the proposed position and the few documents that most directly support it. Say whether anything has already been submitted, including an acknowledgement, online response or request for additional time. An adviser needs the procedural history to avoid recommending a step that is unavailable or inconsistent with something already filed.

If the claimant says that the dispute has been resolved, establish what has actually been agreed and what procedural action remains necessary. A telephone assurance that the claim will be withdrawn is not the same as a recorded change in the proceedings. Keep written confirmation of any payment and the terms on which it was accepted. Ask how the court record will be updated and verify the position. Until the applicable requirements have been addressed, continue treating the response timetable as an active responsibility.

Check completion instead of relying on a saved draft Before submitting, compare the defendant's details, claim number and selected response with the papers received. Check attachments and any declaration required by the service or form. Read the final version rather than assuming that an earlier saved draft contains the last correction. Where a business authorises somebody to respond, confirm their role and authority. A factual mistake can be harder to untangle once it forms part of a formal response, particularly where it concerns an admission or a counterclaim rather than an administrative detail.

After submission, save the confirmation and a copy of the actual response outside the online session. Note the next expected communication and arrange for court correspondence to reach the coordinator during absences. If no confirmation appears, investigate promptly using the appropriate service rather than repeatedly submitting different versions without explanation. Update the working chronology to show what was completed and when. The first response starts the defendant's participation in the case; it does not remove the need to read later directions, settlement communications or hearing notices.