If you think the County Court process is conducted in a timely manner, think again.
It’s no secret that across the country, the County Court system is experiencing a backlog and major delays, but are you aware of how long it really takes for a claim to reach a final hearing?
The Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly (October–December 2021), published by the Ministry of Justice on 3 March 2022, showed the mean time taken for small claims to reach hearing was 51.4 weeks, 14.3 weeks longer than the same period in 2019. Multi/fast track claims took 74 weeks, 13 weeks longer than the same period in 2019.
COVID-19 court adjustments, permanent court closures, and lack of judicial availability are just several factors contributing towards the delay. Whilst we are seeing an end to COVID-19 restrictions, it is likely that the timeliness of court claims will still be impacted.
Before deciding to issue or defend proceedings, it is important to consider how court delays may impact you as a business and as an individual. An ongoing court claim, with a hearing date yet to be confirmed, may cause you unnecessary stress or worry. It may impact your business’s reputation and interest may be accruing on any money claim right up until the hearing date.
Weighing up all the factors, is it worth your time issuing or defending proceedings? Or is it worth attempting to resolve the matter outside of court?
Whatever you decide, Lawgistics Ltd are willing to assist.
The full statistics regarding the Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly (October–December 2021) can be found by following the below link:
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