N1 Claim Form
The claim form has a number of separate boxes to be completed.
The form is available from the court service website as a PDF (see links below).
The various sections of the form are listed below:
See also:
N1 Header
Complete the header box, by entering the name of the court. Usually this will be the name of your local county court.
For example:
Aberystwyth County Court
The court will fill in the Claim number and Issue Date.
High Court cases:
If the case is being started in the High Court, use different wording such as "High Court of Justice [Division] Division" with the appropriate division (e.g. Queen's Bench or Chancery) and District Registry.
N1 Claimant
This should include your full name and address including postcode and telephone number.
Individual
Provide your title (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr), all your forenames and surname. Enter your full residential address including postcode and telephone number.
Sole Trader
Enter your full name. If you trade under another name add 'trading as' followed by the trading title.
Example: Mr. Frederick Plummer trading as Plummer's Heating Services
Partnership
Enter the name of the firm followed by the words 'a firm'. The address should be the firm's principal place of business or a residential address of one of the partners.
Limited Company
Enter the name of the company and either the registered office or the principal address for the business.
Special Cases
There are other options for overseas customers, non-company corporations, and special cases where the claim is being brought on behalf of a person who cannot claim themselves (e.g. child and patient under the MHA).
N1 Defendant
The name and address details for the defendant follow the same rules as outlined previously for the claimant.
This should include their full name and address including postcode and telephone number. The same rules apply for individuals, sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies as described in the claimant section above.
N1 Brief Details
This needs to be a concise description of your claim and the remedy being sought (e.g. payment of money, damages, return of goods).
This entry can be kept very short. Fuller details of the claim go in the 'Particulars of claim' box.
N1 Value
If the claim is for a fixed amount of money (known as a 'specified amount') then leave this box blank. Instead put the amount being claimed in the 'Amount claimed' box.
If the claim is not for a fixed amount (known as an 'unspecified amount') you need to give the court some idea of the value of the claim. This will help the court decide how to allocate the case.
Enter one of the following:
Special Claim Types
Personal Injuries: Include additional text about expected damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (£1,000 threshold).
Housing Disrepair: Include estimated cost of repairs or other work (£1,000 threshold).
N1 Amount
If you are claiming for a specified amount, you should enter this in the 'Amount Claimed' box. You should also fill in the boxes for the fee and costs.
N1 Claiming Interest
If you are claiming for a fixed amount of money, you can also claim interest on the amount outstanding. This is usually referred to as 'section 69 interest'.
Commercial Debts: If both parties are businesses and the debt relates to a commercial transaction, it may be more appropriate to use the provisions of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act. Visit late-payment-law.co.uk
Section 69 Interest Calculation:
- • Interest rate: 8% per annum
- • Daily rate = (Amount of claim) × 0.00022
- • Interest = Daily rate × Number of days
N1 Statement of Truth
This should be signed by the claimant, the claimant's solicitor or their litigation friend.
N1 Address for Documents
Complete this box if you wish to receive documents and/or payments at a different address to the one given under Claimant.
Typically, a solicitor acting on behalf of the claimant would put their own office address in this box. If an address is given it should be in England or Wales.