If you've a consumer or business issue that you've been unable to resolve with informal discussions or negotiation, the next step is usually civil legal action.

As the Claimant in a claim it will cost you time and money to issue court proceedings and there are four 'tracks' which a claim can be allocated to depending on the complexity and value of the matter.

• £10,000 or less in value should be allocated to the Small Claims Track
• Over £10,000 up to £25,000 in value should be allocated to the Fast Track
• Over £25,000 in value should be allocated to the Intermediate Track or the Multi Track

The majority of disputes and subsequent claims fall into the Small Claims Track which is designed for use without the need of a solicitor. However, in reality the process can be complex with various procedures, dates and correspondence all to be complied with.

But before starting down the path of issuing a claim, you need to have an understanding of how much it may cost to take someone to the small claims court.

Being the Claimant, you will need to the pay fees to the County Court to start and run the claim. These Court Fees are payable at two key stages of the claim and are required in advance, so ensure you have these available prior to starting your claim.

Should your claim be successful, and a judgment be returned in your favour, all the Court Fees you have paid will be added to the amount the Defendant must pay you.

Small claim court fees and limits and can vary across the UK as well as with different types of claims (personal injury, housing disrepair etc). In this guide we'll be referring to the process in England and Wales for Money Claims.

While there is technically no minimum amount for a money claim, the lowest issue fee (the fee you pay to start the process) is £35.00. Therefore if the amount you are looking to recover is very small, you should consider if issuing a claim will be cost effective for you.
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The Issue Fee is required when you first submit your Claim Form to the court and start your claim.

A claim can be submitted with a paper claim form or via the Internet using the Money Claim Online service. Previously there was an issue fee discount for using the online service, however this discount was withdrawn in May 2021.

Still the benefit of submitting the claim online is that you won't have to print and post the documents, so your claim will be issued faster. You will however need to register for an online account and you cannot use this service if you don't know the exact amount you are claiming for or the defendants are outside England or Wales.

Regardless of which method you use to submit your claim, the Issue Fee will be based on the amount you are claiming or the amount that you are estimating the claim is worth.
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​Correct as at 15 March 2024, but please see EX50 for full details and latest fees.
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If using the online service this fee is payable by credit or debit card prior to submission. If you use a paper claim form, you will need to include a cheque or postal order for the correct fee.

If your claim isn't disputed or defended, then judgment will be awarded in your favour and no other court fees will be payable (known as judgment by default).​
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If the claim is defended, then the case will need to proceed to a small claim hearing unless an agreement or settlement is reached beforehand. The court will send both parties a proposed allocation to the small claims track along with a Directions Questionnaire.

The Directions Questionnaire will ask you details about your claim in preparation for a hearing, including the proposed track, court location, any expert evidence, witnesses and if there are hearing dates to avoid.

While claims are usually allocated to the track based on the amount that is being claimed, the judge can alter this based on other factors, such as the complexity of the matter.

Once both parties have submitted a Directions Questionnaire, this will lead to an order from the court confirming the track and giving a date for the hearing, exchange of evidence and a date for paying the hearing fee.

​As with the other small claims court fees, the hearing fee for a small claim hearing will be based on the amount being claimed:

Fees correct as at 15 March 2024, but please see EX50 for full details and latest information.
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The Directions Questionnaire will also ask if you agree to your claim being referred to the Small Claims Mediation Service. If both parties agree to this, then a mediation appointment will be organised by telephone and a mediator will attempt to reach a settlement over the course of an hour or so.

The HMCTS Small Claims Mediation Service is free of cost so should be seriously considered as an option. Also, mediation appointments will be available quicker than a court hearing and you won't incur the Hearing Fee if the claim is settled at mediation.

It is expected that mediation will become a compulsory step in the small claims process in the future. As it is seen as an opportunity to settle disputes quickly and free up court time.

If mediation fails, then the claim will proceed to a hearing and the Hearing Fee will become due.
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Depending on your dispute, you may require an expert to provide evidence to support your claim. You will need the court to grant permission to use an expert and if permission is granted you will then need to pay the expert to produce written evidence.

As with court fees, if using an expert has been approved and your claim is successful, the cost of the expert will be recovered from the defendant up to a maximum of £750.

If your claim is successful, as well as the court fees and approved expert costs, there may be other items you can claim and recover from the losing party.

• Interest on the amount owed
• Late payment compensation if the claim is for a commercial debt
• Travel expenses getting to/from the hearing
• Loss of earnings due to attending the hearing
• Legal representative's costs if you've instructed a solicitor to make the claim on your behalf

There are various rules and limits around what can be claimed so it is always a good idea to get legal advice before starting your claim. Without legal advice then there is a risk you could miss out on recovering costs that you are entitled to claim from the opposing party.

Ultimately it will be down the court to deicide what costs and rate of interest are awarded in a successful claim, with the Judge having a wide discretion.
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Although the small claims process is designed to be conducted without legal representation, many people still choose to use a solicitor and can recover some of these costs as part of their claim.
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The way legal representation costs for small claim are calculated is complex and relates to the claim amount, how the Claim Form is served and the number of Defendants. There are then further costs that can be claimed if judgment is entered which depends on the amount claimed and how the judgment was obtained.

​Correct as at 15 March 2024, but please see CPR Part 45 for full details and latest fees.
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Therefore, if you choose to use a solicitor for you small claim, you can typically expect to receive around £50 to £130 awarded towards your legal costs if your claim was successful.

The relatively low legal representative costs that are recoverable in the Small Claims Court is the reason you don't see 'no win no fee' funding being an option when dealing with small claims. So if you do decide to seek legal help with a claim, ensure you look for a law firm offering fixed fee small claims services.
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While you may not be able to recover all your legal costs as part of your claim, there are still some compelling reasons to consider instructing a solicitor for a small claim.

Firstly (and most importantly) a solicitor will be able to advise you on the law and your prospects of success. Spending money on issuing and attending a court hearing only to have no basis for a claim would be an expensive mistake.

Secondly a solicitor will be an expert on litigation and the court process, ensuring you comply with the relevant directions/deadlines and that your claim is comprehensive. If your claim is significant, missing out or even miscalculating an item such as your interest entitlement can prove costly.

Finally, even if your claim is successful and judgment is awarded in your favour you may still need to enforce that judgment. A lawyer can advise you on the most cost effective and productive enforcement methods that are available.

Taking a person or a business to the small claims court isn't free and not without risk. Knowing the potential costs along when fees will require paying is likely to influence your decision on if it is worthwhile process to undertake.

However, if your claim has merit and you can afford the court fees, then many of your small claims court costs will be awarded back to you should your claim be successful.

​In a perfect world all professional relationships would work out exactly as planned, but sadly we live in the real world and disagreements are never far away. Every year thousands of business disputes happen as customers, manufacturers, suppliers and even local authorities clash over contracts, agreements and payments.

​When a dispute occurs, you need to apply rational and objective analysis to make the best decision for your business. This means compiling evidence and gaining advice on the likely strengths and weaknesses of your case, as well as the resources you wish to use to get a favourable result.​​
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Resolving a dispute in the correct way will save your business money, and you, a great deal of stress. With this goal in mind we wanted to run down the five key steps in getting a favourable resolution to your business dispute.
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To start, you need to assess whether you have a strong case or whether you are likely to be at risk of losing in the long run. To do this, you need to examine exactly what has happened as well as reviewing the relevant documents between the other party and yourself.

Do any legal agreements or contracts exist between you? If so then find the relevant clauses that apply to the issue you are in dispute over to confirm there has been a breach.

If you don't have a formal contract or agreement in place, do you have any other written correspondence or evidence of the business relationship? Have you exchanged emails or text messages that show what was required or expected from the parties involved?

It could then be that the law suggests there is an implied contract in place from historical actions or transactions.
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As soon as you know the strength of your case, you should objectively consider the result that you want to achieve or are willing to accept as a compromise.

Business disputes usually involve a breach of contract and the party who suffers a breach is entitled to be placed in the same financial position as if the contract had been fully complied with. Therefore while you may have the right to be compensated for the full amount, you may be willing to accept a lesser figure or other compromise to achieve a resolution.

For example, if a customer cancels a contract without providing the required notice as they are selling their business. You may be open to allowing them to end the contract early on the condition that the new owner agrees to pick up your services or enters a similar contract with you.

You may also want to consider ongoing relations as part of what outcome you are seeking. Some business owners want to set an example to prevent other customers or suppliers breaking contracts and repeating the situation. Even though taking an uncompromising approach is not advised and may be expensive in time and money.

On the flip side, you may have had a good relationship with the other party and so be open to find a more amicable solution and keep working with them.

You should always assess the dispute with your 'commercial hat on' and decide what course is best for your ongoing business whilst minimising the associated risks and costs.
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​​Often businesses neglect to think of the other side in a dispute, but it can be valuable knowing their position and what they want or don't want to happen. For example:

• If the other party have few assets, it may be a waste of time and money pursuing them all the way through litigation. So offering a lesser payment or repayments over a longer period may be a better resolution.
• If your opponent appears to be simply ignoring the issue, you may need to send a contract dispute letter before action before they take the dispute seriously and respond.
• Would the other party be open to alternative dispute resolution or the small claims mediation service?
• The 'burden of proof' will always be on the claimant in any legal claim, so knowing what evidence both parties have and can be relied on can be critical.

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With all the above in mind, you need to weigh up your options and how much each course of action will cost in time and money.

Your case prospects will factor into this, as with a strong case going all the way to court may be the best option. Additional costs like the court issue fee, hearing fee etc. can be recovered as part of your claim when you win.

While on weaker cases or those that are very complex, making a compromised offer for a quick settlement may be more efficient.

Legal representation will also incur a cost, so it's important to discuss fees with your solicitor when considering legal action. Having all the potential legal and court costs in mind will allow you to make an informed decision when looking at what you may recover through litigation or are willing to offer/accept as a compromise.
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Once you have combined your own research with legal advice, you can plan an approach that gives your business the best chance of achieving its desired outcome.

You may then decide that an informal chat with the other party outlining your findings may bring about an agreement. Alternatively you may wish to instruct a solicitor to write a Letter Before Action, outlining your claim and giving notice to your opponent that if a settlement isn't made in a defined timeframe court proceedings will be commenced against them.

When it comes to disputes, a court hearing is often a last resort as there are many other solutions that are generally found before it gets to this point. Even if court proceedings are issued, settlements are usually achieved before an actual day in court is reached.

While you should always have a strategy and budget in mind, don't rule out altering this plan as the situation develops. Mediation, negotiation or compromise should only ever be ruled out after you have considered them thoroughly.
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Each dispute is unique and the optimum way to resolve them is via careful and early analysis of the situation and prospects. This is why there is no substitute to taking legal advice on your dispute as early as possible.
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No matter what industry you are in, you can't conduct business on your own. So every business has to have various agreements, contracts and terms in place.

These agreements can be between you and your customers, employees, suppliers or distributors, and are usually formalised by writing legally binding contracts between the parties involved.

Unfortunately, all too often when things start to go wrong we see businesses suddenly take an in depth look at their agreements only to find that they have an legally unenforceable contract or the agreement they signed doesn't cover what everyone thought it did.

It doesn't matter what kind of formal transaction it is, whether it's an employee contract, partnership agreement, purchase order, or terms of business with a customer, the agreement must be recognised legally by the courts for it to be enforceable if someone were to challenge it. 

This is why it's important to understand the key components of a legally binding contract when drafting an agreement.​
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​A legally binding contract must include one party making a valid offer and the other party accepting it.

An offer is not quite the same thing as an invitation to make a deal, such as putting out a request to tender. A tender request for example, would not be recognised as an offer in English contract law. The offer that is accepted must be the exact terms of the offer being made. If the exact terms are not the terms being accepted, it would be considered a counter-offer, which the initial offeror must then agree to.
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All parties agreeing to the contract must intend to be bound by the contract.

There is a presumed intention to be bound with commercial agreements, unless there is what's known as an 'honour clause' in the contract that states otherwise. A court will look through all the factual and circumstantial evidence to determine if this is the case. It is therefore presumed both you and the business you represent have the intention to be bound to any agreements entered on behalf of the business entity (a Limited Company etc.).

However an arrangement or transaction between individuals may not be as formal. As a party involved may have never had the intention of being legally bound to go through with the agreement.
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An often-seen unfair term is an 'exclusion clause' where one of the parties attempts to avoid the liability that comes as part and parcel of a contract.

Another common example of an unfair term are 'penalty clauses' where one party specifies a monetary amount that is payable upon breach of the contract which is disproportionate to the loss that the party would actually suffer due to that breach.

Enforceability aside, a common issue that arises after a contract is signed is that the terms of the contract don't actually do what one of the parties thought it did.

It can be all too easy to assume that what was agreed verbally has been translated perfectly into a written agreement. Often this isn't the case, and a party can be caught out by relying more of the 'sentiment' or 'spirit' of what was discussed rather than what made it into the written contract.

Therefore take time to speak to a solicitor about the purpose of the business arrangement and then ask them to review the wording of the draft agreement. The solicitor will then be able to firm up your contractual position and ensure the contract is fair. 
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Hope for the best but plan for the worst.

​Inserting a dispute resolution clause into a contract defines how the parties will seek to resolve differences or misunderstandings before they turn legal. To avoid litigation, a dispute resolution clause can point towards independent mediation or arbitration to settle the dispute in a fair and mutually agreeable way.

But even if alternative dispute resolution isn't an option for your type of agreement. If you operate in the UK, checking there is a clause stating that the contract is governed by the courts of England and Wales will ensure that any legal action takes place in your local jurisdiction.
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It can be difficult for business owners and the uninitiated to draft a legally binding contract that covers what they want as well as protects their position. Therefore, it is always best that you have a solicitor draft or at least review your business contract before getting it signed.

You don't want to be in the position of relying on a contract's wording before checking that it does what you need it to.