Letter Before Claim: The Pre-Action Letter That Often Settles It (2026 Guide)

By the eLitigant Editorial Team · Reviewed for current forms, fees & procedure · How we check our guides

Where money claims are filed: the official portal is www.moneyclaims.service.gov.uk — HMCTS’s own Money Claims service. It is new (still badged beta), and following the 181st Practice Direction update there is no upper limit on the amount you can claim through it — and if you qualify for Help with Fees, the issue fee itself can be reduced to zero, whatever the size of the claim. New to the portal? Read our step-by-step walkthrough.

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The pre-action letter is the step the courts expect you to take first. Skipping it can cost you in costs and credibility — doing it well frequently resolves the dispute on its own. (On the receiving end of one over a private parking charge? You may still have a free appeal route — see our POPLA appeal guide.)

What is a Letter Before Claim?

A formal letter that puts the other side on notice of your claim and gives them a chance to pay or respond before proceedings. Under the Civil Procedure Rules the court expects parties to follow the relevant pre-action protocol.

Who needs it & when

Anyone — individual or business — intending to bring a county court money claim (for an unpaid invoice, debt, deposit, refund or similar). Send it before you issue. A letter before claim suits money disputes; a disagreement over a neighbour’s building work at the boundary follows its own procedure — see our party wall notice guide.

Deadlines & key rules

• Allow 14 days to respond for most claims; 30 days if you’re a business claiming a debt from an individual (Debt Pre-Action Protocol), with an information sheet and reply form.
• State the parties, the amount, the basis of the claim, and what you require.
• Keep it accurate and proportionate — it may be shown to the court.
• If ignored, you can issue proceedings (e.g. Money Claim Online), which may add interest and costs.

The rules a judge will check — and the leverage they give you

The Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols sets out exactly what your letter must do — and what the court can do to whoever ignores it:

If the deadline passes with no reply, the claim itself is the next step — here is what to do when your letter before claim is ignored.

• Contents (para 6(a)): concise details of the claim, the basis on which it is made with a summary of the facts, what you want from the defendant — and, if money, how the amount is calculated.
• Response time (para 6(b)): a reasonable time to reply — 14 days in a straightforward case, up to 3 months in a very complex one. For debts owed by an individual, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims gives 30 days.
• Settlement first (paras 8–11): both sides must consider whether negotiation or another form of ADR could settle the dispute; refusing without reasonable grounds can itself cost a party money.
• Teeth (paras 15–16): a party who skips proper pre-action conduct can be punished in costs (including on the indemnity basis); a non-compliant claimant can be deprived of interest — and a non-compliant defendant ordered to pay interest at up to 10% above base rate.

That last point is the quiet power of a properly-drafted letter: it puts the costs and interest consequences on your side before any claim is issued. Chris drafts yours to an elite professional standard — contents, calculation and deadline all protocol-compliant — in minutes. And if the deadline passes unanswered, everything you built flows straight into your money claim online →

How to do it — step by step

1. Set out who you are and who you’re claiming against.
2. Explain the claim: the amount, how it arises, and the key dates/documents.
3. State what you want and the deadline to respond.
4. Send it (keep proof); if no satisfactory reply, consider issuing a claim.

How Chris helps

Tell Chris what you’re owed and Chris drafts your Letter Before Claim to a high, professional standard — you check, sign and send. Not a law firm.

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