Courts and lawsuits
Civil court outcomes in England and Wales
Short answer
- Claims issued, April to June 2026
- 571,000, up 11% 1
- Money claims
- 495,000 (87%) 1
- Claims defended
- 82,000, up 15% 1
- Judgments
- 368,000, of which 94% default 1
- Trials
- 12,000, down 10% 1
- Judicial review applications
- 1,300, up 42% 1
Claims issued
County Court claims rose 11% to 571,000 in April to June 2026, compared with the same quarter of 2025 1. Money claims rose 13% to 495,000, or 87% of all claims 1. Damages claims fell 4% to 26,000. Non-money claims rose 3% from 48,000 to 50,000 1.
Mortgage and landlord possession claims were stable at 29,000 in the quarter 1.
Defences and judgments
The number of claims defended rose 15% to 82,000 1. Money claim defences rose 20% from 50,000 to 60,000. Defended damages claims rose 3% from 16,000 to 17,000 1.
There were 368,000 judgments in April to June 2026, up 26% on the same quarter of 2025. Of these, 94% were default judgments 1. Judgments by admission numbered 15,000, up 22% from 12,000 1.
The GOV.UK guide says that if a defendant does not respond or refuses to pay, the claimant can request a judgment online or use form N225 for a fixed amount or N227 for an unspecified amount 2. If the defendant denies owing money or disputes the amount, there may be a court hearing 2.
Trials and time to trial
Parties may be offered or required to attend mediation, which the GOV.UK guide says is often quicker than going to court 2.
| Measure, April to June 2026 | Figure | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| All trials 1 | 12,000 1 | Down 10% 1 |
| Small claims trials 1 | 8,900 (75%) 1 | Down 11% 1 |
| Fast, intermediate and multi-track trials 1 | 3,000 (25%) 1 | Down 5% 1 |
| Median weeks to trial, small claims 1 | 41.0 1 | 0.7 weeks longer 1 |
| Median weeks to trial, fast, intermediate and multi-track 1 | 55.9 1 | 6.1 weeks faster 1 |
Enforcing a judgment
A judgment does not by itself move money. The claimant can ask the court to send bailiffs under a warrant of control, take money from the debtor's wages, charge the debtor's land or property, or freeze money in the debtor's bank, building society or business account 3. The bailiff will ask for payment within 7 days 3. A judgment cannot be enforced if the debtor has a Breathing Space 3.
In April to June 2026, 73,000 warrants were issued, up 30% from 56,000. Warrants of control were 82% of the total and rose 44% from 41,000 to 59,000 1. Possession warrants fell 9% to 13,000 1. There were 9,900 enforcement-related order applications and 8,500 enforcement-related orders, the orders down 17% 1.
Judicial review
There were 1,300 judicial review applications in April to June 2026, up 42% from 940 a year earlier 1. Of these, 400 were civil immigration and asylum applications and 890 were civil (other) 1. In the quarter, 220 applications reached the permission stage 1.
Common questions
How many County Court claims go to trial?
There were 12,000 trials in April to June 2026, against 571,000 claims issued in the same quarter. The two numbers cover different cases and are not a rate 1.
What is a default judgment in England and Wales?
The GOV.UK guide says a claimant can request a judgment if the defendant does not respond or refuses to pay 2. They made up 94% of judgments in April to June 2026 1.
How long does a small claim take to reach trial?
The median was 41.0 weeks from issue to trial in April to June 2026 1.
What can I do if the other side does not pay a judgment?
The GOV.UK guide lists a warrant of control, an attachment of earnings, a charging order and a third-party debt order 3.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@enforcementoutcomes.com.
Sources
Related
- How civil lawsuits usually end
Most civil cases end without a trial. Official US federal court and England and Wales County Court figures on settlements, defaults and trials.
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Published median times for civil and criminal cases in the US, England and Wales, the EU, Canada and Australia, with the period each figure covers.
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What affirmed, reversed, remanded and quashed mean, and how often appeals succeed in US federal courts, the EU Court of Justice and English criminal cases.
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