Make a debt claim in the Circuit Court
Where to make your debt claim

Complete your debt claim form

Once you've identified the correct Circuit Court and county, you (or your solicitor) must complete the Claim Notice form. In the Circuit Court, this is called a Civil Bill and officially referred to as Form 2A.

Your Claim Notice must include the following details:

1. Details of the parties involved

• Your name and occupation (as the claimant)
• The name and occupation of the person or business you're claiming against (the respondent)
• Addresses for both parties — these will be used to send court documents
• Email addresses for electronic service, if available
• Details of any legal representatives, if known

2. A statement of the claim

You must explain the full background of your claim. Include:

• A clear description of what happened and when
• A list of any letters, emails, or documents you may rely on in court
• The total amount of money you are claiming, or another remedy you are seeking

3. Court location details

State the circuit and county where you are submitting your claim. This should match the location identified in Step 1.

4. Legal options for the respondent

These options are already included in the Claim Notice (Form 2A) template. They explain what the respondent can do next - such as accepting, disputing, or counterclaiming against your claim.

5. Date and signature

The form must be signed and dated by you or your legal representative.

Make sure all information is complete and accurate before submitting. Errors can cause delays or rejection of your claim.

Submit your claim notice

Once your Claim Notice (Civil Bill – Form 2A) is complete, you must submit the original form and one copy to the relevant Circuit Court office. This is called submitting your claim.

Paying the court fee

You must pay a court fee when submitting your claim. This can be done at your local court office, or in Dublin at the Stamping Office in the Áras Uí Dhálaigh building (Four Courts complex). Fees can be paid by card or cash.

The fee depends on the amount you are claiming:

• Claims up to and including €45,000: €90
• Claims over €45,000 and up to €75,000: €130

What happens at the court office

When you submit your Claim Notice (and copy) in the court office, it is checked by a member of the Courts Service staff. If the Claim Notice is incorrectly completed, the court office cannot accept it and will return it to you to be corrected. When you have corrected it, you can resubmit the forms to the court office.

Once the Claim Notice is correctly completed and checked, the office will give it a case record number, issue it, and return the form to you. You must then send a copy of your Claim Notice to the respondent. This is called serving the claim (for more information on serving, please see step 4). The court office will keep a copy of the Claim Notice for their records.

Note: It is very important that you keep the original document as you will need it later in the process if you proceed with the claim.

Server your claim notice

Once you have submitted the Claim Notice (known as a Civil Bill in the Circuit Court), and it has been issued by the court office, you must then send a copy of the Claim Notice to the respondent. This is called serving the claim.

For more information on serving and proof of service, please see our Serving and Proof of Service page.

Note: It is very important that you keep the original document as you will need it later in the process if you proceed with the claim.

After serving the document(s), the person who served them must sign the original document(s) within 3 days and include the time, date, method, and place of service. This is called endorsing.

After the claim is served

When you serve the debt claim, the respondent can choose to repay, ignore, or defend the claim. You can take the following action depending on the option the respondent chooses:

• If the respondent repays the debt, plus legal costs if applicable, within 6 days of receiving the Claim Notice (known as a Civil Bill in the Circuit Court), you can discontinue court proceedings by submitting a Notice of Discontinuance (template form that can be used) in the court office where the claim was made.
• If the respondent ignores the claim, you can apply for a judgment in default without the need for a court hearing:
  • If the respondent does not submit an appearance form within 10 days of receiving the Claim Notice, you can apply for a judgment in default of appearance.
  • If the respondent does not submit a defence form within 10 days of submitting the appearance form, you can apply for a judgment in default of defence.

  For further information on how to apply for a judgment in default, please see our Summary Judgments page.

• If the respondent defends the claim and/or makes a counterclaim, you will need to apply to have the case listed for a hearing before a court. For more information, please see the section below.
• Other options available to both you and the respondent include mediation or alternative dispute resolution processes. For more information on these options, please see our Legal Advice and Mediation page.

Applying to have your case listed in the Circuit Court

If you wish to have the case listed for court, you must:

1. Complete a Notice of Trial (Form 15A) and a separate copy for each respondent. You will need to contact the court office where the claim was made to obtain a date for court, which you insert on the Notice of Trial.
2. Serve a copy of the Notice of Trial on the respondent:
   • In Dublin: Serve the Notice of Trial at least 21 days before the date given by the court office. The case will then be listed for court.
   • Outside Dublin: Serve the Notice of Trial at least 10 days before the date. The case will be listed before the County Registrar to set a date and time for hearing. This is known as a callover list.

   For more information, please see our Serving and Proof of Service page.

3. Submit the original Notice of Trial, with a court fee of €120, in the relevant court office within 7 days of serving the respondent(s).

Note: If you do not submit any legal documents or take any steps in progressing the claim in the previous 12 months, you must give a month's notice of your intention to proceed. To do this, serve a Notice of Intention to Proceed (template form that can be used) on the respondent.

On the day the case is being heard, you must bring all documents including correspondence, contracts, affidavits, forms, and any other documents relevant to your case. Please ensure you bring a copy for the judge and for each respondent. For more information, please see our What to Expect in Court page.

How cases are listed for hearing can vary between Circuit Courts, depending on the number of sittings and court directions. You should contact the court office where you are making your claim for more information on local Circuit Court procedures.

Note: If you do not serve a Notice of Trial, the respondent can choose to serve one on you if they have submitted a counterclaim and wish to proceed with it.