What Form N225 is for
The claimant's form to ask for judgment when the defendant has not responded, or has admitted the debt and offered terms.
Who files it: The claimant.
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
- The defendant has not acknowledged or defended within the deadline and you want judgment in default.
- The defendant has sent an N9A admission and you want to accept or reject their payment offer.
Deadline and fee
Deadline: Any time after the response deadline passes. If you do nothing for six months after the deadline the claim is stayed.
Court fee: No court fee. (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 toolkit tracks the defendant's response deadline from the deemed service date and tells you the day you can request judgment, then prepares the N225 with the interest and costs calculated to that date.
See the Small Claims Toolkit →Questions people ask
How do I calculate interest on the N225?
Daily interest is the claim amount multiplied by the annual rate (8% under s.69 County Courts Act 1984 unless the contract says otherwise) divided by 365. Add the days from the date on the claim form to the date of the request.
What if the defendant responds after I request judgment?
If the response was late, judgment stands unless they apply on Form N244 to set it aside and show a real prospect of defending. If it was in time but crossed in the post, the court will not enter judgment.
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.