When you file a claim in the small claims court using form N1, the most important section is the "Particulars of Claim". This is your written statement to the court explaining who you are suing, what they did (or failed to do), why the law entitles you to compensation, and exactly how much you are claiming. Get this right and your claim stands on solid ground. Get it wrong and it may be struck out or dismissed.
What Are Particulars of Claim?
Particulars of claim is the formal legal statement of your case. It sets out the facts you will rely on, the legal basis for your claim, the loss or damage you have suffered, and the remedy you are asking the court to grant. It is not a letter of complaint — it is a structured legal document that will be read by the judge and served on the defendant.
On the N1 form, there is a box specifically for the particulars. For online filing through Money Claim Online (MCOL), you are limited to approximately 1,080 characters. For paper claims, you can attach a separate document if needed — this is strongly recommended for anything beyond the simplest claims, as it gives you the space to set out your case clearly.
The 5 Things Every Particulars Must Include
Regardless of the type of claim, every set of particulars should include these five elements:
- The parties: Identify the claimant (you) and the defendant (who you are suing) by their full legal name
- The facts: A concise chronological account of what happened — dates, amounts, what was agreed, and what went wrong
- The legal basis: The rule of law, statute, or implied term that the defendant has breached (e.g. breach of contract, Consumer Rights Act 2015, failure to protect deposit)
- The loss or damage: Precisely what you have lost as a result — money paid, expenses incurred, value of goods destroyed
- The remedy sought: Exactly what you are asking the court to order — typically a specific sum of money plus interest plus court fees
Always Use Numbered Paragraphs
Numbered paragraphs are standard practice in court documents for a reason — they make it easy for the judge, the defendant, and the court to refer to specific statements. "The defendant disputes paragraph 3" is far clearer than trying to point to a block of text. Always number every paragraph, starting from 1. Keep each paragraph to a single point or closely related facts. Never combine your legal argument with your factual narrative in one paragraph.
Worked Example 1 — Builder Dispute
Facts: You paid a builder £6,500 to install a kitchen extension. The work was completed in February 2024. Since completion, the roof has leaked in three places, internal walls are uneven, and the bifold doors do not close properly. The builder has refused to return to fix the defects despite two written requests. You have obtained a quote of £4,200 to rectify the work from a second builder.
1. The Claimant is Sarah Mitchell, residing at 14 Elmwood Road, Bristol, BS6 7JT.
2. The Defendant is James Hargreaves trading as JH Construction, of 22 Tanner Street, Bristol, BS3 1NF.
3. By an oral contract made on or about 8 November 2023, and confirmed by written quotation dated 12 November 2023 (exhibited as 'SM-1'), the Defendant agreed to construct a single-storey kitchen extension at the Claimant's property for the fixed sum of £6,500.
4. The Claimant paid the full contract price of £6,500 in two instalments: £3,250 on 15 November 2023 and £3,250 on 20 February 2024, following purported practical completion.
5. The works were not completed to a satisfactory standard or with reasonable care and skill as required by section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. In particular: (a) the flat roof section leaks at three points identified in the survey report dated 4 April 2024; (b) the internal stud walls are out of plumb by up to 15mm over 2 metres; (c) the bifold doors are misaligned and do not seal properly when closed.
6. By letters dated 1 March 2024 and 20 March 2024, the Claimant formally requested that the Defendant return to rectify the defects. The Defendant has not responded and has failed to carry out any remedial work.
7. The Claimant has obtained a written quotation from a third-party contractor, dated 22 April 2024, in the sum of £4,200 to rectify all defects identified (exhibited as 'SM-2').
8. The Defendant's failure to complete the works with reasonable care and skill constitutes a breach of the implied term under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
9. By reason of the Defendant's breach, the Claimant has suffered loss and damage in the sum of £4,200, being the reasonable cost of remedying the defective works.
10. The Claimant also claims interest pursuant to section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 at the rate of 8% per annum from 20 March 2024 (the date of the Defendant's final failure to respond) to the date of judgment, and continuing thereafter at the daily rate of £0.92.
AND the Claimant claims: (1) £4,200; (2) Interest as set out above; (3) Court fees.
Worked Example 2 — Landlord Deposit
Facts: Your landlord took a £1,200 deposit and never protected it in a government scheme. The tenancy ended in January 2024. The landlord has not returned the deposit.
1. The Claimant is Daniel Okafor, formerly residing at 7 Portman Terrace, Leeds, LS6 2AR (the 'Property').
2. The Defendant is Margaret Foley, landlord, of 31 Cedar Avenue, Leeds, LS17 5BT.
3. By a written assured shorthold tenancy agreement dated 14 January 2022, the Claimant became a tenant of the Property at a monthly rent of £900. The tenancy commenced on 1 February 2022.
4. On 1 February 2022, the Claimant paid the Defendant a tenancy deposit of £1,200. The Defendant failed to protect this deposit in a government-authorised tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days, in breach of sections 213–215 of the Housing Act 2004.
5. The Defendant also failed to provide the prescribed information required under the Housing Act 2004 and the Housing (Tenancy Deposits)(Prescribed Information) Order 2007.
6. The tenancy ended on 31 January 2024. The Defendant has not returned the deposit or any part of it.
7. Pursuant to section 214 of the Housing Act 2004, the court may order the Defendant to repay the deposit and to pay the Claimant a penalty of between one and three times the deposit amount.
8. The Claimant claims: (a) return of the deposit of £1,200; (b) a penalty of £2,400 (being two times the deposit amount); (c) interest under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984.
AND the Claimant claims: (1) £3,600; (2) Interest; (3) Court fees.
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Worked Example 3 — Faulty Goods (Consumer Rights Act)
Facts: You bought a laptop for £850 in March 2024. Within six weeks it developed a fault — the screen began flickering and then failed entirely. The retailer refused to repair or replace it.
1. The Claimant is Priya Sharma, of 9 Birchwood Close, Manchester, M21 8PL.
2. The Defendant is Techmart Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 04912837), trading from 108 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2GX.
3. On 6 March 2024, the Claimant purchased a Dell XPS 15 laptop (serial number DX15-8892-A) from the Defendant for £850. The purchase was made in the Defendant's retail store and evidenced by receipt number 20240306-4421 (exhibited as 'PS-1').
4. By section 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods sold in the course of a business must be of satisfactory quality. By section 10, they must be fit for their intended purpose. By section 14, they must match any description applied to them.
5. From approximately 18 April 2024, the laptop's screen began flickering intermittently. By 25 April 2024, the screen had failed entirely and the laptop became unusable.
6. On 28 April 2024, the Claimant contacted the Defendant in writing to report the fault and request repair, replacement, or refund. The Defendant refused, stating that the fault was caused by the Claimant's misuse, which the Claimant denies.
7. As the fault manifested within 30 days of purchase, the Claimant is entitled under section 20(3) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to reject the goods and receive a full refund of £850.
AND the Claimant claims: (1) £850; (2) Interest pursuant to section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984; (3) Court fees.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These errors appear repeatedly in self-drafted particulars and often result in the claim being weakened or struck out:
- Too vague: "The defendant treated me badly and owes me money" tells a judge nothing. Be specific about dates, amounts, and what was agreed.
- No legal basis: You must identify the legal rule that the defendant has broken — a statute, an implied term, or a clear breach of contract. Stating only the facts is not enough.
- Wrong defendant named: If the defendant is a limited company, use their full registered name (e.g. "Hargreaves Builders Limited"), not a trading name. Check Companies House if in doubt.
- Forgetting interest: Always add a paragraph claiming interest under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984. It is straightforward to include and can add a meaningful amount to your recovery.
- Overly emotional language: Avoid words like "disgraceful" or "disgusting". Judges are not moved by emotion — stick to facts and legal argument.
- Claiming amounts you cannot justify: Only claim what you can back up with invoices, receipts, or quotes. Speculative claims undermine the credibility of the rest of your particulars.
Claiming Interest Under Section 69 County Courts Act 1984
In virtually every small claim, you should add a paragraph claiming interest. The standard rate is 8% per annum. The wording to use at the end of your particulars is:
"The Claimant also claims interest pursuant to section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 at the rate of 8% per annum from [date of breach / date money became due] to the date hereof in the sum of £[calculated amount], and continuing at the daily rate of £[daily amount] until judgment or sooner payment."
To calculate the daily rate: (claim amount × 0.08) ÷ 365. For a £1,000 claim, that is £0.22 per day. Over a year, it adds £80. Over two years (a typical timeline from breach to judgment if contested), it adds £160 — worth including.
The Statement of Truth
Every set of particulars of claim must be verified with a statement of truth. Without it, the document has no legal standing. The wording is prescribed and must appear at the end:
"I believe that the facts stated in these particulars of claim are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth."
Sign it with your full name and the date. Do not add any qualifications — the wording is fixed by the Civil Procedure Rules.
Word and Page Limits
There is no formal word limit for small claims particulars, but the general expectation is concision. For simple claims — a single breach of contract, a deposit dispute, faulty goods — aim to keep your particulars to a single side of A4. Judges appreciate brevity. A concise, well-structured set of particulars is more persuasive than a lengthy narrative full of irrelevant detail.
For more complex claims — multiple breaches, several defendants, or a claim involving events spanning a long period — two sides of A4 is reasonable. Beyond that, you risk losing the judge's attention. Everything in your particulars should be directly relevant to the claim.
What Happens If You Get It Wrong
Minor deficiencies are usually not fatal — the court has discretion to allow amendments, and defendants can be ordered to clarify what they admit or deny. However, more serious problems can have consequences:
- If your particulars do not disclose a reasonable cause of action, the defendant can apply to have the claim struck out
- If you claim against the wrong defendant (e.g. a sole trader instead of a limited company), you may need to start again — and limitation periods will have been running
- If your particulars are too vague, the judge may order you to serve more detailed particulars before the hearing, causing delay and cost
- If your statement of truth is missing, the court will not process the claim until it is corrected
The Bottom Line
Good particulars of claim are not complicated — they are simply clear, factual, and legally grounded. Identify the parties, state what happened in date order, name the legal rule that was broken, quantify your loss precisely, and ask for what you are owed. Use numbered paragraphs, include an interest claim, and finish with the statement of truth.
If writing your own particulars feels daunting, JustClaim's AI can generate court-ready particulars for your specific situation in minutes — based on the details you provide about your case.