What Form N1 is for
The form that starts a County Court money claim on paper: who is claiming, against whom, for how much and why.
Who files it: The claimant, when starting a claim that cannot or should not be issued online.
The official form is published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Download the current version from GOV.UK rather than reusing an old copy, because the forms change.
When to use it
- You are claiming a fixed sum and cannot use the online Money Claims service, for example because there are more than two defendants or a defendant is outside England and Wales.
- You are claiming an unspecified amount, such as damages to be assessed.
- A court has told you to issue on paper.
Deadline and fee
Deadline: Issue before the limitation period expires: six years for most contract and debt claims (Limitation Act 1980 s.5).
Court fee: The issue fee is banded by claim value, from £35 (up to £300) to £455 (£5,000.01 to £10,000). Above £10,000 it is 5% of the claim. (EX50 fee list)
If you are on a low income or benefits you may not have to pay court fees. Apply with Form EX160, Help with Fees. Fees you do pay are added to the amount the other side owes if you win.
Work out the full cost of a claim, including the hearing fee, with the court fee calculator or see the fees for a claim of a given amount.
How to complete it
Every County Court form follows the same rules: use the claim number exactly as it appears on the court’s letters, give full names and addresses for each party, write dates in full, and sign the statement of truth in your own name. A statement of truth is a promise to the court that the contents are true, and a false one is contempt of court.
The Small Claims Toolkit drafts your particulars of claim from your documents and fills the N1 fields, then gives you the same text to paste into Money Claims Online if you issue online instead.
See the Small Claims Toolkit →Questions people ask
Do I need Form N1 if I claim online?
No. Most money claims up to £10,000 by an individual or company against a defendant in England and Wales are started online through Money Claims or Money Claim Online, which ask the same questions as the N1. Use the paper N1 when the online services will not accept your claim.
What goes in the particulars of claim on an N1?
A concise statement of the facts: the agreement or duty, what the defendant did or failed to do, the amount and how it is calculated, interest claimed (usually under s.69 County Courts Act 1984 at 8% a year) and the remedy you want. It must end with a signed statement of truth.
How many copies of the N1 do I need?
One for the court, one for each defendant, and one for your own records. The court serves the defendant unless you tell it you will serve the claim yourself.
CourtPilot is an information and document-preparation service, not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Court fees change; the figures here were checked against the published EX50 on 2026-08-29.