Form N316: Order to attend court for questioning

What Form N316 is for

The form to make a judgment debtor come to court and answer questions about their income, assets and debts before you choose an enforcement method.

Who files it: The judgment creditor, after judgment.

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 have a judgment but do not know whether the debtor is employed, owns property, or has money in the bank.
You want sworn answers and documents before paying for a warrant, attachment of earnings or charging order.

Deadline and fee

Court fee: £69 (EX50, 13 July 2026). The order must then be personally served on the debtor. (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.

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How CourtPilot fills this form

The CCJ Enforcement Toolkit fills the N316, produces the questions to ask, and uses the answers to recommend which of the four enforcement routes will actually recover the money.

See the Enforcement Toolkit →

Questions people ask

What if the debtor does not turn up?

If the order was personally served and the debtor fails to attend without good reason, the court can issue a suspended committal order. Few debtors risk it, which is why the questioning order is often enough on its own to prompt payment.

Related forms

Form N323: Request for warrant of control — The form to send County Court bailiffs to take control of the debtor's goods to satisfy a judgment.
Form N337: Request for attachment of earnings order — The form to have a judgment debt deducted from the debtor's wages by their employer.
Form N349: Application for third party debt order — The form to freeze and take money owed to the debtor by someone else, most often the balance in their bank account.
Form N379: Application for charging order on land — The form to secure a judgment debt against property the debtor owns, so it is paid when the property is sold or remortgaged.

All County Court forms explained →