Marine Lake at Knightstone, Weston-super-Mare

The Small Claims Court

The Small Claims Court is the part of the County Court that deals with almost all claims worth under £10,000. If it is not a money claim then a Judge will decide whether it should be allocated there based on its complexity, number of people involved and to some extent the wishes of the Parties. There are special rules for injury and housing claims and most family matters and employment matters are dealt with differently and do not use the Small Claims Court.

The advantage of the Court is that it is less ridged than most Courts but nevertheless it has Rules that have to be followed.

The disadvantage is that solicitor’s costs can not normally be recovered by the successful party from the unsuccessful one (save a very small contribution – of no more than £100- toward the Claimants costs of preparing the initial Court papers).

If you have legal expenses insurance then the insurers will often pay solicitors costs, but otherwise it can be uneconomic to use solicitors to conduct the claim of the defence of a claim in its entirety though some clients act on a point of principle rather than the value of the outcome to them. Here at Berry Redmond Gordon and Penney we are able to conduct the matter in its entirety but we also offer “unbundled services” where clients conduct the matter themselves, doing the work that does not need a lawyer, using us on a consultancy basis to guide and to carry out tasks that clients feel unable to deal with themselves.

  • Our charges

    Berry Redmond Gordon & Penney charge at an hourly rate, which is influenced by the following:

    • The particular expertise and experience of the person dealing with the case
    • The complexity of the transaction
    • Whether the matter requires unusually urgent and swift action
    • The time spent on the matter

    We always give an estimate of the likely costs at the beginning of the matter, with regular updates as the matter progresses, so that you can always be certain of the costs involved in your particular case at any given time.

    To find out more, call us now or fill out our Enquiries Form.

    Legal fees are subject to VAT.