What Happens After You File at OCMC: The Complete Money Claim Timeline

You have submitted your money claim through the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service at moneyclaims.service.gov.uk. The court fee has been paid, and your Particulars of Claim have been filed. Now what? For many litigants in person, the moment after pressing “submit” is one of the most uncertain. The system confirms your claim has been received, but it says very little about what comes next. The service helpdesk (contactocmc@justice.gov.uk, 0300 123 7050, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm) can tell you whether something has been processed — but it cannot tell you what to do next. There is no letter telling you what to expect on Tuesday. You are left refreshing the dashboard, waiting for something to happen. This guide sets out the complete timeline of a money claim issued through OCMC in England and Wales, from the moment of issue through to hearing. Every stage has its own rules, its own deadlines, and its own consequences for getting things wrong. Understanding this timeline is essential — because the court will not pause proceedings to explain what you should have done last week.

Stage 1: Issue and Service on the Defendant

Once your claim is accepted by the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC) in Northampton — the centre that services money claims for England and Wales — it is formally issued. The court assigns a claim number and the claim is served on the defendant. Under OCMC, service is electronic for represented parties and by post for individuals. The date of service matters enormously because it triggers every subsequent deadline. Under CPR 6.14, a claim form served by first class post is deemed served on the second business day after posting. For electronic service, deemed service is the next business day after transmission (CPR 6.26). When the defendant receives the claim pack, it includes:

• The claim form (OCON1 format, equivalent to the traditional N1)
• The Particulars of Claim (either attached or included within the claim form)
• A response pack explaining how and when to respond
• Information about how to access the OCMC system to file a response online

If you are unsure how to start a claim in the first place, our guide to starting a money claim at OCMC covers the filing process from beginning to end. Delays at this first stage are usually self-inflicted — the avoidable filing errors are catalogued in our guide to common OCMC mistakes that get money claims rejected.

Stage 2: The Defendant’s Response Window — 28 Days From Issue

This is the single most misunderstood deadline in an online money claim, and getting it wrong costs claimants real time. In OCMC the defendant must respond by 4pm on the 28th day after the claim form is issued. That is Practice Direction 51R paragraph 5.1(1) where the parties are unrepresented, and paragraph 6A.2(1) where a party is represented. Two things follow, and both differ from the paper route:

• It is 28 days, not 14. The 14-day rule in CPR 15.4 belongs to paper claims issued under Part 7.
• It runs from ISSUE, not from service. Deemed service does not start this clock. If you count from service you will reach the wrong date, and if you apply for default judgment early the request will be rejected.

There is also no acknowledgment of service in OCMC. The pilot replaces the two-stage acknowledge-then-defend timetable with a single 28-day response window, so there is nothing the defendant can file to extend it in the way CPR 10.3 allows on a paper claim. Within those 28 days, the defendant has three options:

Option A: Admit the Claim or Pay

The defendant can admit the claim in full or in part, or simply pay what is owed. A full admission of a specified sum lets you ask the court to enter judgment for that amount; a part admission is offered to you to accept or reject, and if you reject it the case proceeds on the disputed balance.

Option B: File a Defence

The defendant can file a full defence within the 28-day window. If they do, the case moves to the directions stage. The defence may include a counterclaim — a claim by the defendant against the claimant arising from the same facts or transaction. If you receive a defence and counterclaim, you will need to file a defence to the counterclaim. For a detailed guide to the defence and counterclaim form, see our Form N9B guide.

Option C: Do Nothing

If the defendant does not respond at all within the permitted time, the claimant may apply for default judgment. This is covered in Stage 3 below. (For the OCMC-specific position, see what happens when the defendant does not respond to an OCMC claim.)

Stage 3: Default Judgment — When the Defendant Does Not Respond

If the defendant files no response by 4pm on the 28th day after issue, the claimant can request default judgment under CPR Part 12. Check the issue date on your claim, not the service date, before you apply — applying before the deadline has passed gets the request rejected. For specified money claims issued through OCMC, this can be done directly through the online system. Default judgment means the court enters judgment for the claimant without a hearing. For a specified sum, the judgment will be for the amount claimed plus any interest and fixed costs. The process is largely administrative — the court checks that the time for responding has expired and that no response has been filed. There are important points to understand about default judgment:

• It is not automatic. The claimant must actively request it. If you do not apply, nothing happens — the claim simply sits in the system.
• Timing matters. You cannot apply before the deadline for responding has passed. Applying too early will result in your request being rejected.
• The defendant can apply to set aside. Under CPR 13.3, the defendant can apply to set aside a default judgment if they have a real prospect of defending the claim or if there is some other good reason why the judgment should be set aside.
• Judgment is not the same as payment. A default judgment gives you a court order. It does not put money in your account. If the defendant still refuses to pay, you will need to take enforcement action.

Our Form N225 Default Judgment guide explains how to apply for default judgment step by step.

Stage 4: Directions Questionnaire and Track Allocation

If the defendant files a defence, the case moves to the directions stage. The court sends both parties a directions questionnaire and a Notice of Proposed Allocation. The questionnaire must be returned within 14 days of service. The directions questionnaire asks both parties about:

• Whether they have attempted or would be willing to attempt mediation
• What witnesses they intend to call
• Whether expert evidence is needed
• How long they estimate the trial will take
• Any dates they are unavailable for trial

Based on the questionnaire responses and the value and complexity of the claim, the court allocates the case to one of four tracks under CPR 26.9:

• Small claims track — claims up to £10,000 (personal injury: injury damages up to £1,500, or £5,000 in most road traffic accident claims; housing disrepair: repairs and any other damages each up to £1,000). Limited costs recovery. Informal hearing. The directions questionnaire for this track is Form N180.
• Fast track — claims between £10,001 and £25,000. Standard directions apply. Trial limited to one day. The directions questionnaire is Form N181.
• Intermediate track — claims above £25,000 but not more than £100,000, where the court considers a proportionately managed trial will last no more than three days and oral expert evidence is limited to two experts per party (CPR 26.9(7)). It has its own fixed recoverable costs regime, banded by complexity, which makes costs exposure more predictable than the multi-track. Many guides still omit this track entirely.
• Multi-track — the residual track (CPR 26.9(12)): claims above £100,000, or those too complex, too long or too expert-heavy for the intermediate track. Case management conferences are common. No fixed trial length.

Track allocation is one of the most consequential moments in your case. It determines costs exposure, procedural complexity, and how much preparation you need. For an overview of how to evaluate whether your case is worth pursuing at all, see our guide: Do You Have a Claim?

Allocation is also where pre-action conduct catches up with everyone. Under paragraphs 15 and 16 of the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct, the court can sanction a party who ignored the pre-action steps — costs orders (including on the indemnity basis), depriving a successful claimant of interest, or ordering a defendant to pay interest at up to 10% above base rate. If you are reading this ahead of a future claim, the cheapest insurance is a proper letter before claim before you issue — prevention is better than cure.

Stage 5: Case Management and Preparation for Trial

After allocation, the court issues directions — a timetable of steps each party must complete before trial. For fast track claims, standard directions typically include:

• Disclosure — each party must list and share relevant documents (CPR Part 31)
• Exchange of witness statements — written statements from anyone who will give evidence at trial, exchanged simultaneously on a specified date
• Expert evidence (if permitted) — the court may allow a single joint expert or separate experts, with reports to be exchanged by a set date
• Trial window — the court sets a window (usually several weeks) within which the trial will be listed

For small claims, directions are simpler. The court may simply set a hearing date with minimal preparatory steps. There is usually no formal disclosure obligation and no costs consequence for failure to comply with directions. Missing a directions deadline is serious. The court can strike out your statement of case (CPR 3.4), debar you from relying on evidence served late (CPR 3.1(2)(a)), or impose cost sanctions. If you need more time, apply to the court before the deadline passes — not after.

Stage 6: The Hearing

The final stage is the hearing itself. For small claims, this is typically an informal hearing before a District Judge, lasting 30 minutes to an hour. The judge reads the papers, asks questions, and may allow brief oral submissions. Strict rules of evidence are relaxed. For fast track trials, the hearing is more formal. Each party presents their case through witness evidence and legal submissions. The trial is limited to one day. The claimant goes first, presenting their evidence and calling witnesses. The defendant then presents their case. Both parties may make closing submissions. At the end of the hearing, the judge delivers a judgment — either immediately or at a later date (reserved judgment). The judgment determines liability and, if the claimant succeeds, the amount of damages. If the losing party does not comply with the judgment (typically, does not pay within 14 days), the successful party must take enforcement action. Our guide to enforcing a county court judgment explains the available options.

Key Points to Remember

• After filing at OCMC, the claim is issued and served on the defendant by the court — you do not need to arrange service yourself.
• The defendant must respond by 4pm on the 28th day after the claim form is issued (PD51R para 5.1(1)) — 28 days, counted from issue, not from service. There is no acknowledgment of service in OCMC.
• If the defendant does not respond, you can apply for default judgment — but you must actively request it.
• If a defence is filed, both parties complete a directions questionnaire and the case is allocated to the small claims, fast, intermediate or multi-track.
• The court sets directions (a preparation timetable) that must be followed — missing deadlines can result in your case being struck out.
• Judgment in your favour does not guarantee payment — enforcement may be necessary.
• Keep your OCMC dashboard updated and check it regularly. Court communications and deadlines appear there.

Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form N260: Statement of Costs — the costs schedule used at summary assessment.
• Form N244: Application Notice — the form for interim applications.
• Start a Money Claim Online (OCMC) — where most civil money claims begin.
• Particulars of Claim — setting out the basis of your claim.
• Civil Court Forms Index — every civil court form guide in one place.

Related Guides

• How to Start a Money Claim at OCMC
• Form N225: How to Apply for Default Judgment
• Form N181: Directions Questionnaire Guide
• Do You Have a Claim? How to Evaluate Your Case
• How to Enforce a County Court Judgment

Frequently asked questions

What happens immediately after I file at OCMC?

Once your claim is accepted by the Civil National Business Centre in Northampton, it is formally issued, given a claim number and served on the defendant by the court — you do not need to arrange service yourself. The date of service matters because it triggers every subsequent deadline.

How long does the defendant have to respond?

The defendant must respond by 4pm on the 28th day after the claim form is issued (PD51R para 5.1(1)) — 28 days, running from issue, not from service. There is no acknowledgment of service in OCMC, so there is no way to extend it as CPR 10.3 allows on a paper claim. They can pay, admit, file a full defence, counterclaim, or do nothing — in which case you may be able to apply for default judgment.

What is default judgment and is it automatic?

If the defendant files no response by the 28-day deadline, you can request default judgment, and the court can enter judgment without a hearing. It is not automatic — you must actively request it, and you cannot apply before the deadline to respond has passed. The defendant may also apply to set it aside.

What happens if the defendant files a defence?

The case moves to the directions stage. The court sends both parties a directions questionnaire and a Notice of Proposed Allocation; the questionnaire must be returned within 14 days. Based on the answers, value and complexity, the case is allocated to the small claims, fast, intermediate or multi-track.

What do “directions” mean before trial?

Directions are a timetable of steps each party must complete before trial — typically disclosure of documents, exchange of witness statements, and any expert evidence, within a set trial window. Missing a directions deadline is serious; if you need more time, apply to the court before the deadline passes, not after.

Does winning mean I get paid?

No. Judgment in your favour gives you a court order, not money in your account. If the losing party does not comply (typically does not pay within 14 days), you may need to take enforcement action. Related guides: Form N180: Directions Questionnaire (small claims) · Form N225: Default Judgment · Form N9B: Defence and Counterclaim · All civil court forms