County Court Judgments

County Court Judgments (CCJs) in Northern Ireland

A County Court Judgment is a serious statement of intent from your creditor that they are prepared to take legal action to recover the money you owe them. If you have been served with a CCJ claims form, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. If you fail to respond to the claim, the court is highly likely to issue the CCJ against you and request that you pay the money you owe.

County Court Judgments can have a hugely negative impact on your credit file which can make it difficult for you to obtain credit in the future. This can be credit required for major purchases such as a mortgage or a car loan, through to smaller day-to-day lines of credit such as a mobile phone contract. A CCJ can also make it difficult for you to rent a property as many landlords will conduct a credit search against any prospective tenants during the application stage.

If you have been served with a County Court Judgment hearing, you should take steps to resolve the situation before the CCJ is made against you. Once you have received a CCJ claim form, you have 14 days in which to respond. You can either pay the amount you owe in full, dispute the debt, or else ask for more time for you to prepare a defence. The debt experts at Northern Ireland Debt Solutions can help you negotiate with your creditors during this stage.

If a CCJ has already been issued against you, you are still liable for repaying the debt you owe. The CCJ does not relieve you of this responsibility. Failure to deal with the debt you owe could result in further action against you such as bailiffs visiting your property, or money being taken directly from your wages through an attachment of earnings.

You should take the CCJ as a major warning sign that all is not well with your finances and consider seeking expert debt advice to help you deal with the problems you are facing.

“Before the Debt Management Plan, I felt like I was drowning in debt with no way out. It gave me the structure and support to manage my repayments and negotiate with creditors. For the first time in years, I can see a clear path forward, and the stress of juggling bills is finally easing.”

At Northern Ireland Debt Solutions, we have decades of experience helping individuals just like you. We will take the time to understand your situation, before explaining the various options open to you. This could include entering into a formal repayment plan with your creditors known as an IVA, where you will be required to make a monthly contribution towards your debts for up to 6 years, with any unaffordable debt being written off.

When you talk to Northern Ireland Debt Solutions you will be taking steps to resolve your entire debt situation, not just the debt associated with the CCJ. Our advisers are hugely experienced, fully qualified, and ready to help you. Call us today and take the first step towards a debt free future.