Contact: Antony Morris; Clarkslegal LLP (Reading, England)
For many years the rules governing civil claims have provided that money claims (except personal injury claims) can be started in either the High Court or the County Court, but that claims could be issued in the High Court only if they are greater than £25,000.
It is expected that a change of rules will come into effect from 22 April this year, although the rules have not yet been finalised. From that date money claims may only be commenced in the High Court if they are worth more than £100,000. Claims valued at less than that amount must be started in the County Court.
Just to complicate matters further, from 22 April the distinction between individual County Courts is to be abolished, and there is to be a single "County Court" sitting in different locations (which happen to be the same as the current County Courts). It remains to be seen whether these changes will speed up justice for those who are trying to resolve their commercial disputes through the County Court system.
