Before you make your application
Before you make your small claims application, try to resolve the issue with the person or business first.
You can contact them by:
- phone
- in person
If you cannot resolve the issue, make a short complaint in writing. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) guide on how to complain explains what to include.
Keep a record of your complaint and any replies. If you do not get a response, or you are unhappy with it, tell the person or business in writing (letter or email) that you plan to make a small claims application. You should also review your consumer rights .
Make your small claims application
When you make a small claims application, you are the claimant. The person or business you are claiming against is the respondent.
The steps below explain how to make your application.
Where to make your application
To make your small claims application, you need to find your relevant court office.
Once you have found your court office, you will also need the District Court area and number to complete your application. Follow the steps below to find this information.
Find where to make your claim
Decide where to make your claim based on:
- Where the respondent’s registered business address is (this can be where they live if they are a sole trader).
- Where the contract (purchase) was made.
- Where the damage to property took place.
If your purchase was made online, use the respondent’s registered business address to find your relevant court office.
Find your District Court area and number
- Open the map of District Court areas.
- In the map menu, switch on these layers:
- District Court Districts
- District Court Areas
- Use the search bar (top right) to enter the Eircode or address of the person or business. The result will appear as a small black dot.
- Click the dot, then use the navigation arrows (bottom left) to view the relevant District Court area, number, and court office. This information appears in the left panel.
Information you need to make your small claims application
When you make your small claims application, it is important to include specific details about your claim. Gather the information below to help you complete your application.
Your personal details as the claimant
You should have your name, address, email, and phone number.
Details of who you are claiming against
You must include the correct details of the person or business you are claiming against. Incorrect details may cause your application to be rejected or prevent a successful claim from being enforced.
- If your claim is against a sole trader, include their name and registered business address (this may be their home address).
- If your claim is against a company, include:
- Their company name and trading name (also called the legal entity).
- Their company address.
- Their Company Registration Office (CRO) number. To find this, call 01 804 5200 or search the CRO website.
- If your claim is against an individual, include their full name, address, and contact details.
- Both you and the respondent (the person or business you are claiming against) must be based in the Republic of Ireland.
What happened that led to your claim
You will need to explain the background to your claim. Prepare the facts and include:
- Details of what happened and when it happened.
- A full description of the problem with the goods or services.
- A full description of any damage to your property.
- Any correspondence with the respondent.
- Evidence to support your claim, for example, a repair quote or receipts.
How much you are claiming for
You should include the amount you are claiming for and explain why. Provide evidence to support this amount, for example, receipts. It is important to know that:
- You can only claim the value of the product, service, damage, or deposit.
- The value of your claim must be €2,000 or less.
- You cannot claim for time spent, distress, or costs related to making your claim — this includes the €25 application fee.
Making your small claims application
There are two ways that you can make your small claims application. You can make an application and pay online or you can make an application and pay through the court office.
Please note that all correspondence, including your application, will be shared with the respondent.
Making your application and paying online:
- Log on to CSOL.ie to create an account.
- Create your username and password, you will need an email address to do this.
- Select the 'Public Registered User' option as account type.
- Fill in your details as required by the system.
- Once you finalise your account set-up you can begin filling out your claim.
- Once you submit your application the small claims registrar will review it.
- If your application is approved you will receive an email to pay the €25 fee. You will need your bank card to pay the fee online.
- If your application is rejected, you will receive an email notification with feedback from the small claims registrar and information on next steps.
Making your application and paying through the court office
To complete your small claims application form, you can:
- Download the application form from our forms page.
- Request the application form by post from your local court office.
- Visit your local court office and they can assist you in completing an application.
Once your application form is filled out you must send it by post or bring it in person to the relevant court office.
Submitting your application to the court office by post:
- You must send your application to the relevant court office, you should include the €25 fee. This can be a postal order, bank draft or cheque.
- If your application is approved, the small claims registrar will notify you by post and the claim will be sent to the respondent.
- If your application is rejected, the application and €25 fee will be sent back to you by post. Feedback from the small claims registrar will be included.
Submitting your application to the court office in person:
- The small claims registrar will review your application at the counter.
- If your application is approved, you must pay the €25. You can pay at the counter with cash or use a debit/credit card.
- If your application is rejected, the small claims registrar can offer guidance for next steps.
After your application is approved
When your application is approved by the small claims registrar and the fee is paid, they will send your claim to the respondent by registered post. This is known as service. You will be notified by the small claims registrar when your claim is sent. For your claim to be successfully served, the respondent will have to sign for it.
Once the respondent has signed for your claim, they have fifteen calendar days to respond. If your claim is returned to the court office unsigned, the small claims registrar will contact you to discuss other options.
Your application is successfully served on the respondent
When the respondent has received your claim, there are four potential routes it can take:
Your claim is accepted
If the respondent accepts or agrees with your claim, they must fill out a Notice of Acceptance of Liability form. This form states that they are accepting your claim.
The respondent returns the Notice of Acceptance of Liability form to the small claims registrar, who will then send it to you.
When the respondent accepts your claim there are three potential outcomes.
They can:
- Pay the full sum.
- Pay the full sum in instalments.
- Offer a repair or replacement of the good or service.
The small claims registrar will let you know what arrangement has been agreed with the respondent and when it will be complete. You should let the small claims registrar know if you agree to the arrangement.
The respondent can pay by:
- A cheque (made payable to you) to the small claims office who will forward it to you.
- Direct payment to the card that the good or service was purchased with.
- If they have your bank details, by bank transfer.
If the respondent pays you directly or replaces the good or service you should contact the small claims registrar and let them know.
When the respondent is paying by instalments, you will receive multiple payments.
Once the payment has been made to you in full or the good or service repaired or replaced, the small claims registrar will close your case.
If the respondent disputes your claim
If the respondent does not agree with all or part of your claim, they must complete a Notice of Dispute form and return it to the small claims registrar.
You will receive a copy and be asked for your response. If you do not agree with their dispute, let the registrar know in writing (by letter or email).
The registrar will then attempt to settle the matter between both parties without going to court.
Outcome 1: The claim is settled
Settlement options may include:
- Full or partial payment
- Instalments
- Repair or replacement
If both parties agree and the outcome is fulfilled, the case will be marked as settled and closed.
Outcome 2: The claim goes to court
If a settlement can’t be reached, the case will be listed for a hearing in the District Civil Court.
You’ll receive a Notice of Hearing with the date, time and venue. The judge cannot award costs or witness expenses in small claims cases.
To prepare for the hearing, see our Preparing for Civil Court page.
The respondent makes a counterclaim
If the respondent does not agree with your claim and makes a claim against you, this is known as a counterclaim. They must set out their reason(s) for doing so in the Notice of Dispute.
The respondent returns the Notice of Dispute form to the small claims registrar who will send it to you and ask for your response. If you do not agree with the counterclaim, you should let the small claims registrar know in writing (letter or email). The small claims registrar will speak to you and the respondent to try and settle the case to avoid going to court.
If a counterclaim is made, there are two potential outcomes:
Your claim is settled
Once the respondent has disputed your claim and made a counterclaim, the small claims registrar will send it to you and ask for your response. The small claims registrar will speak to both sides to try and come to an agreement and settle the case to avoid going to court.
A settlement may include:
- The payment of an agreed sum.
- The payment of an agreed sum in instalments or.
- The repair or replacement of a good or service.
When a settlement is agreed and payment has been made in full or the goods or service repaired or replaced, the small claims registrar will mark the case as settled and closed.
Your claim goes to court
If the small claims registrar is not able to settle the claim between both sides the case will be listed for court. It will be heard before a judge in the District Civil Court. Both sides will receive a Notice of Hearing in the post which includes the date, time and where the case will be heard. The judge cannot award costs or witness expenses in a small claims case.
Going to court can be a stressful experience, please see our preparing for Civil Law court pages for more information on how to prepare.
There is no response to your claim
Once the respondent has received your claim they have fifteen calendar days to respond. If they do not respond to your claim, you can get judgment without their reply. This is called Summary Judgment.
If you have not received a response from the court office, you should contact the small claims registrar for more information.
Complete your Affidavit of Debt
If the small claims office can confirm that the respondent has signed for your claim and they have not responded, Summary Judgment can be granted without their reply. The small claims registrar will send you a document called an Affidavit of Debt.
Once you have received your Affidavit of Debt, you must sign it and swear that the information provided is correct before filing it with the court office.
To sign and swear your Affidavit of Debt you can:
- Attend the relevant court office and sign and swear the Affidavit of Debt in front of the Small Claims Registrar.
- Attend another court office more convenient for you, you can sign and swear your Affidavit of Debt in front of the Small Claims Registrar. Then you can post it to the relevant office.
- Sign and swear the Affidavit of Debt before a practising solicitor or a Commissioner for Oaths, you can post it to the relevant court office. There may be a fee associated with this.
By doing this you are stating that you have not received a response or payment from the respondent. You have thirty calendar days to return your signed document to the court office.
If you swear your Affidavit of Debt in front of a Small Claims Registrar, there is no fee.
After your have sworn the Affidavit of Debt, the small claims office will notify the respondent that judgment was granted. This tells the respondent that they must pay the amount of the claim within fourteen calendar days.
If you do not receive a response after twenty one calendar days you should contact the relevant court office.
What happens if there is still no response
If the respondent has not paid or lodged an appeal after fourteen calendar days, the office will issue a document called a Decree to you. This is an official order stating what you are owed by the respondent. You must bring the Decree to the local Sheriff's office to be enforced, there is a fee associated with this. For more information please see our how small claims are enforced page.
How the respondent can reply
When your small claims application is approved and the fee is paid, it will be sent to the respondent by registered post. This is known as service. The respondent must sign for the claim for it to be successfully served.
Once the respondent has received the claim, they have 15 calendar days to respond. There are four possible outcomes:
Your claim is accepted
If the respondent accepts or agrees with your claim, they must fill out a Notice of Acceptance of Liability form. This form states that they are accepting your claim.
The respondent returns the Notice of Acceptance of Liability form to the small claims registrar, who will then send it to you.
When the respondent accepts your claim there are three potential outcomes.
They can:
- Pay the full sum.
- Pay the full sum in instalments.
- Offer a repair or replacement of the good or service.
The small claims registrar will let you know what arrangement has been agreed with the respondent and when it will be complete. You should let the small claims registrar know if you agree to the arrangement.
The respondent can pay by:
- A cheque (made payable to you) to the small claims office who will forward it to you.
- Direct payment to the card that the good or service was purchased with.
- If they have your bank details, by bank transfer.
If the respondent pays you directly or replaces the good or service you should contact the small claims registrar and let them know.
When the respondent is paying by instalments, you will receive multiple payments.
Once the payment has been made to you in full or the good or service repaired or replaced, the small claims registrar will close your case.
If the respondent disputes your claim
If the respondent does not agree with all or part of your claim, they must complete a Notice of Dispute form and return it to the small claims registrar.
You will receive a copy and be asked for your response. If you do not agree with their dispute, let the registrar know in writing (by letter or email).
The registrar will then attempt to settle the matter between both parties without going to court.
Outcome 1: The claim is settled
Settlement options may include:
- Full or partial payment
- Instalments
- Repair or replacement
If both parties agree and the outcome is fulfilled, the case will be marked as settled and closed.
Outcome 2: The claim goes to court
If a settlement can’t be reached, the case will be listed for a hearing in the District Civil Court.
You’ll receive a Notice of Hearing with the date, time and venue. The judge cannot award costs or witness expenses in small claims cases.
To prepare for the hearing, see our Preparing for Civil Court page.
The respondent makes a counterclaim
If the respondent does not agree with your claim and makes a claim against you, this is known as a counterclaim. They must set out their reason(s) for doing so in the Notice of Dispute.
The respondent returns the Notice of Dispute form to the small claims registrar who will send it to you and ask for your response. If you do not agree with the counterclaim, you should let the small claims registrar know in writing (letter or email). The small claims registrar will speak to you and the respondent to try and settle the case to avoid going to court.
If a counterclaim is made, there are two potential outcomes:
Your claim is settled
Once the respondent has disputed your claim and made a counterclaim, the small claims registrar will send it to you and ask for your response. The small claims registrar will speak to both sides to try and come to an agreement and settle the case to avoid going to court.
A settlement may include:
- The payment of an agreed sum.
- The payment of an agreed sum in instalments or.
- The repair or replacement of a good or service.
When a settlement is agreed and payment has been made in full or the goods or service repaired or replaced, the small claims registrar will mark the case as settled and closed.
Your claim goes to court
If the small claims registrar is not able to settle the claim between both sides the case will be listed for court. It will be heard before a judge in the District Civil Court. Both sides will receive a Notice of Hearing in the post which includes the date, time and where the case will be heard. The judge cannot award costs or witness expenses in a small claims case.
Going to court can be a stressful experience, please see our preparing for Civil Law court pages for more information on how to prepare.
There is no response to your claim
Once the respondent has received your claim they have fifteen calendar days to respond. If they do not respond to your claim, you can get judgment without their reply. This is called Summary Judgment.
If you have not received a response from the court office, you should contact the small claims registrar for more information.
Complete your Affidavit of Debt
If the small claims office can confirm that the respondent has signed for your claim and they have not responded, Summary Judgment can be granted without their reply. The small claims registrar will send you a document called an Affidavit of Debt.
Once you have received your Affidavit of Debt, you must sign it and swear that the information provided is correct before filing it with the court office.
To sign and swear your Affidavit of Debt you can:
- Attend the relevant court office and sign and swear the Affidavit of Debt in front of the Small Claims Registrar.
- Attend another court office more convenient for you, you can sign and swear your Affidavit of Debt in front of the Small Claims Registrar. Then you can post it to the relevant office.
- Sign and swear the Affidavit of Debt before a practising solicitor or a Commissioner for Oaths, you can post it to the relevant court office. There may be a fee associated with this.
By doing this you are stating that you have not received a response or payment from the respondent. You have thirty calendar days to return your signed document to the court office.
If you swear your Affidavit of Debt in front of a Small Claims Registrar, there is no fee.
After your have sworn the Affidavit of Debt, the small claims office will notify the respondent that judgment was granted. This tells the respondent that they must pay the amount of the claim within fourteen calendar days.
If you do not receive a response after twenty one calendar days you should contact the relevant court office.
What happens if there is still no response
If the respondent has not paid or lodged an appeal after fourteen calendar days, the office will issue a document called a Decree to you. This is an official order stating what you are owed by the respondent. You must bring the Decree to the local Sheriff's office to be enforced, there is a fee associated with this. For more information please see our how small claims are enforced page.
