However, remember that going to court should be seen as the last resort when communication with the other side has broken down and proposals for settlement and referral to arbitration have been rejected. If you are contemplating court action we would recommend that you first obtain advice and assistance from a solicitor.

County courts deal with matters which involve a financial claim of up to a value of £25,000. A case of more than £50,000 will be dealt with in the High Court and cases valued between £25,000 and £50,000 can be dealt with in either court.

Once deciding which court to pursue your claim in, a claim is sent to the respective court. Once received by the court the claim is then sent to the defendant and he has 14 days from the date of service to respond. If no response is received then you can request that judgement is entered in your favour. The judgement is then registered as a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against the defendant. The court will contact the defendant informing them of this and request immediate payment, however, recovery of the debt is your responsibility not the courts. If the defendant responds by entering a defence then the court will allocate your case to either the Smallclaims Track, the Fasttrack or Multitrack, depending on the value of your claim.

The fast track system gives a standard framework of how the case will proceed with final hearings usually 30 weeks from when the claim was filed.

Mutitrack cases are those which are more complicated than normal, and the court will get more involved in how the case is progressed.

The small-claims track is a less formal means to resolve disputes than using the full court system. This track is a form of arbitration where cases can be decided. The system is such that individuals can bring cases and defend them in person. He procedure is fast, efficient and cost effective.

• Warrant of Execution - An application is made to the court for a bailiff from the court to seek to enforce the judgement of your behalf.
• Charging Order - As a creditor you can secure your money judgement against the debtor's property and apply for an order to sell that property.
• Attachment of Earning - The court is requested to make an order that the debtor's employers must make regular deductions from the debtor's wages. The amount of money to be regularly repaid is determined by the court.
• Garnishee - The debtor's bank or building society is contacted and the account is frozen. A request is made to the court that any funds in the account should be frozen and paid directly to you as creditor.