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County court judgment (CCJ)

A county court judgment (CCJ) is registered when you receive a letter titled ‘Judgment for Claimant’ and will be recorded on your credit file.

This will specify a monthly instalment or ask you to pay the full amount immediately or ‘forthwith’.

If you make the payments as instructed, no further action should be taken.

If you do not make the correct payments on time, the creditor can ask the court to enforce payment using one of the following methods:

A warrant of execution, which means a visit from the bailiffs
An attachment of earnings order
A charging order
An examination of means. Here the court asks you to attend a hearing to give evidence of your financial situation, but this is not common
A third party debt order. Here, the court takes money directly from your bank account, but this is not common
In some cases, they could enforce the debt through the high court

Free debt help

If you are worried about your level of debt, make sure you get some impartial debt advice as soon as you can. Our online debt counselling service, CCCS Debt Remedy, can give you a full assessment of your situation and recommend the best way forward for you.

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FAQs

How does a county court judgment (CCJ) affect my credit file?

A county court judgment (CCJ) will appear on your credit file for six years and one month from the date of judgment.

Even if the debt has not been repaid, the record of the CCJ will be removed after this time.

While it appears on your credit file, the CCJ will be visible to any companies who credit-check you, and will make it more difficult to get credit.

I’m not sure if I have a county court judgment (CCJ). How can I check?

The easiest way to check if you have a county court judgment (CCJ) is to contact the creditor and ask them.

If you have lost touch with the creditor or are unsure which creditor may have taken out a CCJ, you can request a copy of your credit file. This will show any judgments that were registered in the last six years. There is a charge of £2 to check your credit file. To check your credit file you should contact one of the credit reference agencies:

You can also check with the Registry Trust who store information about all judgments. This will cost £8.

Can I change the monthly instalment on a county court judgment?

If you have received a county court judgment (CCJ) asking for the full payment to be made immediately or asking for a monthly instalment you cannot afford, you can request a more affordable monthly instalment is set. You should do this before any further enforcement action has been started.

You should collect form N245 from your local court or download one from HM Court Service. This form allows you to offer an instalment based on your ability to pay. There is a court fee payable to do this.

If you need any further advice on this, or any help with completing the N245 form and offering a realistic payment, please call us.

Can I stop a county court judgment (CCJ) if my job is at risk?

In some professions, your job may be at risk if you get a county court judgment. If you think this is the case, check your employment contract or speak to your trade union representative.

If a creditor has issued a county court claim and it may threaten your job, you need to act quickly. One option is a legally binding agreement called a tomlin order as an alternative to a CCJ. Some creditors will agree to this.

You should contact us as soon as possible to discuss the options you have in this situation.