Form N227: Request for Default Judgment — Amount to Be Decided by the Court (2026 Guide)

What Form N227 is

Form N227 is titled “Request for judgment by default (amount to be decided by the court)”. It is the unspecified-amount sibling of Form N225, and it does one precise job: where the defendant was properly served and has filed neither an acknowledgment of service nor a defence within the time the rules allow, it asks the court to enter judgment because the claim is, in effect, unopposed on liability. The form itself is a single page. It carries two operative sentences:

• The confirmation — “The defendant has not filed (an acknowledgment of service)(a defence) to my claim and the time for doing so has expired.”
• The request — “I request judgment to be entered against the defendant for an amount to be decided by the court and costs.”

Notice what is missing: a figure. Unlike N225, you do not calculate the debt, the interest or the costs on this form — because your claim is for an amount the court has to assess. The form’s own printed note tells you what happens next: the court will enter judgment and refer the court file to a judge, who will give directions for the management of the case, including its allocation to track.

Specified or unspecified: N225 versus N227

“Unspecified amount” is the key phrase. It means a sum the court must decide — damages for an injury, losses that are still being quantified, compensation that depends on evidence rather than arithmetic. If your claim is for a fixed, calculable sum — an unpaid invoice, a loan, an agreed contractual debt — that is a specified claim and you use Form N225 instead.

	N225	N227
Type of claim	Specified (fixed) amount	Unspecified amount
Is the sum already fixed?	Yes — you state the exact figure, interest and fixed costs on the form	No — you request judgment “for an amount to be decided by the court and costs”
What judgment you get	Judgment for a stated sum	Judgment on liability; the amount is assessed later
What happens next	Enforceable at once if unpaid	Directions from a judge, then the hearing or disposal where the amount is decided
Typical use	Unpaid invoice, loan, contractual debt	Damages or losses requiring assessment

One further distinction: N227 is the default route — for a defendant who stayed silent. If instead the defendant admits liability in an unspecified claim, the admission route applies: the admission is dealt with through Form N226 (notice of admission — unspecified amount) rather than by default judgment.

When you can use it: the response windows

You cannot file N227 the moment the claim is served. The defendant has a period in which to respond, and you must let that period expire before you are entitled to default judgment. The clock runs from the deemed date of service of the particulars of claim, not the date you posted them. Broadly, a defendant who wishes to fight the claim can either:

• File a defence within the period for filing a defence; or
• File an acknowledgment of service first, which buys additional time to then file the defence.

If the defendant does neither within the time allowed, the door to default judgment opens. If they acknowledge service but then fail to file a defence in the extended period, the same applies. Because the exact number of days is the single most common point at which requests are filed too early and rejected, check the current deadline for filing an acknowledgment of service, and the current deadline for filing a defence (including the extended period after acknowledgment) against the live Civil Procedure Rules before you file. Default judgment by request is also not available in every case. Certain defendants and claim types need an application to the court instead — for example claims against children or protected parties, claims in tort between spouses or civil partners, and claims against the Crown. If anything about your defendant or claim type is unusual, confirm that the straightforward request route is open to you before relying on it.

Completing the form, section by section

N227 is short — but short is not the same as safe. The entitlement lives in the dates, not the boxes.

1. The heading

Identify the court, the claim number, and the full, correct names of claimant (including your reference, if any) and defendant exactly as they appear on the claim form. A mismatch here is a frequent reason judgments are queried or later challenged.

2. The confirmation

The printed wording confirms that the defendant has filed neither an acknowledgment of service nor a defence and that the time for doing so has expired. Before you sign, verify both halves against the deemed date of service — if either is not yet true on the day the court processes your request, the judgment is vulnerable.

3. The request

The form asks for judgment “for an amount to be decided by the court and costs”. You do not enter a figure — that is the point of this form. Resist the urge to add one.

4. Defendant’s date of birth

If you know it, include it — it helps ensure the judgment is recorded against the right person.

5. Signature and date

The request is signed by the claimant, the claimant’s solicitor or a litigation friend, with the position or office held if you are signing on behalf of a firm or company. Sign it yourself — and date it on the day you actually file.

What happens after you file

Judgment on liability

If the conditions are met, the court enters judgment against the defendant. That judgment establishes, in law, that the defendant is liable to pay you — but not yet how much.

Directions from a judge

The court refers the file to a judge, who gives directions for the management of the case, including its allocation to track. Depending on the size and complexity of the claim, that may mean a short disposal-style hearing on the papers and limited evidence, or fuller directions — witness statements, a schedule of your losses, disclosure of documents and, where the court permits, expert evidence.

The assessment

The amount is then decided by the court. This is where preparation pays: the judgment got you liability, but the evidence gets you the money. Interest and costs are dealt with as part of this stage. There is normally no separate court fee for filing the N227 request itself — you paid the issue fee when you started the claim — but a hearing fee can fall due before the assessment, so check the current fees on GOV.UK before you budget.

Judgment is not recovery: the enforcement step

Even after the amount is fixed, a judgment does not move a single pound into your account by itself. If the defendant still does not pay, you enforce the judgment — a separate process with its own forms and its own fees. Common routes include transferring the judgment to the High Court for enforcement by writ of control, attachment of earnings, a charging order against property, or a third-party debt order. Treat judgment as the first half of the job and enforcement as the second.

Common mistakes

• Filing too early. Requesting judgment before the response period has genuinely expired (from the deemed date of service) leads to rejection or a judgment that can be set aside.
• Wrong form. Using N227 for a fixed sum that belonged on N225 — or forcing a claim that needs assessment onto N225 with an invented figure.
• Entering an amount. N227 asks for judgment for an amount to be decided by the court. Adding your own figure misunderstands the form.
• Name and address mismatches. Tiny differences from the claim form give the defendant grounds to apply to set the judgment aside.
• Stopping at judgment. Ignoring the directions that follow, or arriving at the assessment without evidence of your loss, squanders the judgment you won.
• Assuming the money will arrive. The amount still has to be assessed — and then, if unpaid, enforced.
• Ignoring the set-aside risk. A defendant can apply to set aside a default judgment under CPR Part 13. Accurate service dates and correct timing are your best protection.

The rules that apply

• CPR Part 12 — default judgment: when it is available, the conditions to be satisfied (rule 12.3), and the cases where an application is needed instead of a request.
• CPR Part 13 — setting aside or varying a default judgment.
• CPR Part 26 — allocation of the case to a track once directions are given.

Always check the current form, the current response deadlines and the current fees before filing.

Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form N225: Request for Default Judgment — Specified Amount
• Apply to Set Aside a Judgment or Stay Execution
• OCMC Default Judgment: What Happens if the Defendant Does Not Respond
• Form N215: Certificate of Service
• Form N1: Part 7 Claim Form
• How to Start a Money Claim Online (OCMC)
• Particulars of Claim
• Civil Court Forms Index

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Frequently asked questions

What is Form N227 used for?

Form N227 — “Request for judgment by default (amount to be decided by the court)” — asks the court to enter judgment where the defendant has filed neither an acknowledgment of service nor a defence in time and your claim is for an unspecified amount of money. Judgment is entered on liability, and the court refers the file to a judge who gives directions for deciding the amount, including allocation to track.

What is the difference between Form N225 and Form N227?

N225 is for a specified claim — a fixed sum you can state exactly, with interest and fixed costs calculated on the form. N227 is for an unspecified claim, where the court will decide the amount: you request judgment “for an amount to be decided by the court and costs” and the figure is assessed at a later stage. If you sued for a precise figure such as an unpaid invoice, you almost certainly need N225.

When can I file Form N227?

Only after the defendant’s time to respond has expired without an acknowledgment of service or a defence being filed in time. The period runs from the deemed date of service of the particulars of claim. Check the current acknowledgment and defence deadlines in the Civil Procedure Rules before filing, because filing early is a frequent reason requests are rejected — and a ground for setting the judgment aside later.

What does “amount to be decided by the court” mean?

The judgment establishes that the defendant is liable, but not how much they must pay. A judge then gives directions for deciding the amount — which may mean a short disposal-style hearing or fuller directions for evidence. You prove your loss with evidence: a witness statement, a schedule of your losses, supporting documents and, where directed, expert evidence.

Is there a court fee for Form N227?

There is normally no separate court fee for filing the request itself — you paid the issue fee when you started the claim. A hearing fee can fall due before the amount is assessed, depending on the directions and the track. Check the current fees on GOV.UK before you budget.

Can the defendant undo a default judgment?

Yes. A defendant can apply to set aside a default judgment under CPR Part 13 — for example if they can show service was defective, the request was premature, or they have a real prospect of defending. Getting the service dates and the timing right on your N227 is your best protection against that.

Can eLitigant complete Form N227 for me?

eLitigant prepares a professional Form N227 from the claim information you supply, checks the timing against the response deadlines, and can also review a draft you have already written — then helps you prepare the evidence for the hearing where the amount is decided. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice — you remain the litigant in person, and you should always check the current HMCTS form and fee before filing.

Related guides: Start a Money Claim Online (OCMC) · Particulars of Claim · Form N244: Application Notice · Form N260: Statement of Costs · Civil Court Forms Index

eLitigant CIC (No. 16566612) — a community interest company. Not a law firm; you remain the litigant in person. eLitigant prepares professional documents from your own information; it does not give legal advice and no outcome is guaranteed. Always check the current form, fee and deadline before filing.