Summary judgements
Check if you can apply and understand deadlines
Step 1 of 4: Check if you can apply and understand deadlines
You can apply for summary judgment if the respondent fails to appear or submit a defence after being served with a claim notice.
The deadline to apply is usually within 12 months of serving the original claim. If this has passed, you must serve a Notice of Intention to Proceed and wait at least 1 month.
Each court has slightly different processes:
- District Court: Claim Notice
- Circuit Court: Civil Bill
- High Court: Summary Summons
Step 2 of 4: Prepare your judgment set
You must submit a set of documents (known as a “judgment set”) to the relevant court office.
District Court
- Original Claim Notice with endorsement of service
- Certificate of No Appearance/No Defence (Form 47.01)
- Affidavit of Debt (Form 47.02 or Form 47.03)
- Judgment (Decree) (Form 47.04 or Form 47.05)
Circuit Court
- Original Civil Bill with endorsement of service
- Request for Judgment (Default of Appearance: Form 9; Default of Defence: Form 10)
- Certificate of No Appearance/Defence
- Affidavit of Debt
- Judgment
- Request for Execution Order (Form 20)
- Execution Order (Form 21)
High Court
Two routes depending on whether a defence was entered:
- Default of Appearance:
- Claim Notice and Affidavit of Service
- 28-day warning letter and Affidavit of Service
- Affidavit of Debt
- Judgment form
- Solicitor’s certificate (if applicable)
- Order of Fieri Facias and Praecipe
- Default of Defence:
- Notice of Motion and supporting Affidavit
- Service on respondent
- After court hearing: Judgment form, Affidavit of Debt, second Affidavit, Court order, FIFA forms
Step 3 of 4: Submit your judgment set and pay the fee
Bring your completed judgment set to the court where your claim was issued. Make sure all original forms are stamped with the correct court fee.
District Court fees
- Claims up to €5,000: €25
- €5,001–€10,000: €70
- €10,001–€15,000: €80
Circuit Court fees
- Flat fee: €120
High Court fees
- Notice of Motion: €60
- Affidavits of Service: €20 each
- Affidavit of Debt: €20
- Judgment Form: €85
Fees can be paid at the court office or, in Dublin, at the Stamping Office in the Four Courts.
Step 4 of 4: Enforce your judgment
If you receive a summary judgment and the respondent still does not pay, you can apply to enforce the order.
- Execution Order (Circuit and District Court)
- Order of Fieri Facias (FIFA) (High Court)
- Request assistance from the Sheriff
