You Have a County Court Judgment. Now Choose the Right Bailiff
Applies in United Kingdom
A County Court Judgment does not collect itself, and the enforcement route you pick decides whether you see the money. Two thresholds govern everything: a warrant of control is only available if you are owed £5,000 or less, and a High Court writ of control is only available if you are owed at least £600. Between those figures you may choose either — and the High Court route costs £82 against the County Court's £96, while sending an enforcement agent with materially more leverage. Most people take the more expensive, weaker option because it is the one the form offers first.
The two numbers that decide your route
Enforcement in England and Wales is not one process. It is a menu, and the amount of the judgment silently removes options from it.
- Under £600County Court warrant of control only
The High Court is closed to you: a writ of control requires at least £600.
- £600 – £5,000Either — and this is the band where the choice matters
Transferring up to the High Court costs less and sends a High Court Enforcement Officer instead of a County Court bailiff.
- Over £5,000High Court writ of control
You cannot ask the County Court to issue a warrant for more than £5,000.
Consumer Credit Act–regulated agreements are the exception: those must stay in the County Court, with no upper limit.
What every route costs
These are the current figures. The schedule was revised on 13 July 2026, so a fee you find quoted in an older guide is likely to be out of date.
| Route | Fee | Form | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrant of control | £96 | N323 | County Court bailiff seizes and sells goods. Capped at £5,000. |
| Writ of control | £82 | N293A | Transfers up to the High Court; an HCEO enforces. Needs £600+. |
| Attachment of earnings | £139 | N337 | The court orders deductions from the debtor's wages. |
| Third party debt order | £139 | N349 | Freezes and takes money held in a bank or by a customer. |
| Charging order | £139 | N379 | Secures the debt against land or property. |
| Order to obtain information | £69 | N316 | Compels the debtor to disclose income and assets under oath. |
From the EX50 civil court fees schedule, updated 13 July 2026.
Spend £69 before you spend £96
The cheapest item on that table is the one to buy first. An order to obtain information brings the debtor to court to answer questions about their income, employer, bank and assets — under oath.
It tells you which of the other routes will actually work. Seizing goods is pointless against someone who owns nothing worth selling; an attachment of earnings is pointless against someone self-employed; a third party debt order is only as good as the balance sitting in the account on the day it bites. Sixty-nine pounds spent finding out is cheaper than a hundred and thirty-nine spent guessing.
Matching the route to the debtor
Once you know what the debtor has, the choice is close to mechanical.
- Employed, on PAYE — attachment of earnings. It is slow but it is relentless, and it does not depend on the debtor cooperating.
- A trading business — writ or warrant of control. Stock, vehicles and equipment are visible, valuable and awkward to lose.
- A homeowner — a charging order. It rarely produces money quickly, but it survives; the debt gets paid when the property is sold or remortgaged.
- Money you can identify — a third party debt order, timed for when the account is likely to hold a balance.
Common questions
Is the small claims track the same as small claims court? There is no separate small claims court in England and Wales. The claim is issued in the County Court and allocated to the small claims track, generally for claims up to £10,000.
Can I claim my costs of enforcing? Enforcement fees are generally added to the judgment debt, so the debtor bears them if recovery succeeds. If it fails, you have spent them.
How long is a judgment good for? You can enforce a judgment for six years without permission; after that you need the court's permission to enforce.
The debtor has moved and I do not know where. Start with the order to obtain information — but it has to be served, so a tracing agent may be the prior step. Do not pay for a warrant against an address you cannot confirm.
Sources: GOV.UK — Enforce a judgment, EX50 civil court fees, Apply for a warrant of control. Fees are from EX50 as updated 13 July 2026 and change periodically — confirm the current figure before you pay. This is general information, not legal advice.