England and Wales
The county court deals with civil cases in England and Wales. Cases are dealt with by a judge. County courts deal with a wide range of cases including contractual employment claims. In England and Wales a case will be dealt with in one of three ways depending on the level of claim.
There are three tracks:
- small claims track - this is for claims of £10,000 or less*.
- fast track - this is for claims between £10,000 and £25,000.
- multi-track - this is for claims over £25,000.
If you make a claim to the county court you should consider the following:
- there is a six year time limit to pursue a breach of contract claim from the date of the breach of contract
- there is no limit to the financial awards for breach of contract
- you can claim interest on the money you are owed.
*Please note, costs are not recoverable for small claims and as such we will not support County Court claims of less that £10,000. Legal aid is not available for small claims. See Gov.uk for further information on County Courts.
Sheriff courts (Scotland)
The Sheriff court in Scotland can deal with most types of civil cases and cases are dealt with by a Sheriff. A Sheriff is a judge assigned to a specific court. Cases the Sheriff court deals with can include:
- personal injury claims
- some employment issues
- housing problems
- debt problems
- some discrimination cases.
Depending on the amount being claimed the case will proceed through a designated procedure. The Sheriff may decide to assign the case to the Court of Session.
Points to consider if making a claim to the Sheriff's court:
- there is a five year time limit to pursue a breach of contract claim from the date of the breach of contract
- legal costs may be recovered if you win subject to certain conditions
- interest may be awarded from the date the sum fell due to be paid.
Go to the Scottish courts website for further information.
County court (Northern Ireland)
The county court in Northern Ireland deals with civil cases. The cases are dealt with by a judge or district judge.
The range of cases can include:
- employment problems
- some discrimination cases
- landlord and tenant disputes
- personal injury claims.
The small claims limit involves a claim of no more than £3000. Go to the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service website for further information.