If your County Court case reaches the hearing stage, the hearing could be in-person at a court building or hearing centre, online or a telephone hearing.
The court will tell you the date of your hearing by sending you a notice of allocation or hearing order by post, or via the money claims portal if you made your claim online.
You’ll usually be told the date at least 21 days before the hearing.
GOV.UK has advice on what to do on the day, including what to bring, how to dress and what is and is not allowed.
The hearing
Spoken arguments
At the hearing, you and the other party explain your case to the judge. This is your chance to highlight the main points, respond to what the other side says, and answer questions from the judge.
Written statements
The judge will also look at any written statements that have been provided. These set out what you and any witnesses say happened. They help the judge understand each person’s version of events.
Evidence
Evidence can include documents, photos, letters, emails, contracts, invoices or anything else that supports your case. The judge will consider how relevant and reliable the evidence is before deciding how much weight to give it.
How a decision is made
In most civil cases, the judge decides what is most likely to have happened. This is called deciding the case on the balance of probabilities.
You do not have to prove your case beyond all doubt, but you do need enough evidence to show that your version is more likely to be right.
The decision
The judge decides who wins, what each person must do next, and whether money must be paid. They‘ll decide who pays the costs of the case.
This usually happens at the end of the hearing. If they need more time, the decision is reserved and given later in writing or at a short hearing.
If you win, the court may order the other side to pay money, do something or stop doing something. The order should say what must happen and by when. If it is not followed, you may need to take further legal action to enforce it.
If you lose, you will need to follow the court’s order. This might be paying money or doing something.
Appealing a court decision
You may be able to appeal, but usually only with permission from the judge and on proper legal grounds. Permission is only likely to be given if your appeal has a real chance of success or there is another strong reason for it to be heard.
Appeal deadlines are usually short. If no deadline is set, the usual time limit is within 21 days from the decision.
Find out more
- Last updated:
- 21 September 2026
- Next review:
- 21 September 2028
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