When faced with a dispute, consumers often think the quickest way to get a resolution is by issuing a court claim. But just how long does a claim take to reach a trial?
The Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly (January–March 2023) published by the Ministry of Justice on 1 June 2023 shows the average time taken for a small claim to reach trial was 51.9 weeks, which is slightly longer than the same period in 2022.
Fast/multi-track claims took an average of 79.9 weeks to reach a trial, which is an increase of 6.3 weeks compared to the same period in 2022.
The increased time taken to reach a trial could be a result of the continued lack of judicial availability together with the increased number of court claims. The total number of County Court claims from January to March 2023 increased by 8% to 443,000.
The above timescale statistics are only averages, meaning that the actual length of time it takes to reach trial may vary, particularly depending on the location of the individual court. For example, research by the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) found that Dartford Court has delays of up to 829 days whereas Blackpool has a delay of 79 days. The North East appears to be the best performing region with an average delay of 251 days whereas the South East is the worst with delays of 462 days.
The above timescales should make consumers think twice before issuing frivolous court claims.
If, however, you do find yourself on the receiving end of a court claim, Lawgistics Litigation for the Motor Trade CIC is here to help. To find out more about the services offered by CIC, select: Lawgistics Litigation for the Motor Trade CIC
The full statistics regarding the Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly (January–March 2023 ) can be found by following the below link:
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