Free Traffic Legal Advice

Which would be your local county court? We have seen a lot of cases transferred to St Helens county court recently. These end up as telephone or video link hearings.

You can call the CNCB and ask them why has this been transferred to a court that is nowhere near your residence.

The odds of this ever getting as far as an actual hearing are less than 1%.

The Clerkenwell & Shoreditch County Court is commonly used as a centralised court for allocation and case management in civil small claims proceedings, particularly those originating from CNBC issued claims. This means it often acts as a regional clearinghouse or administrative hub for early-stage case allocation, directions questionnaires, and initial judicial case management — especially for litigant-in-person small claims transferred from Northampton.

• The Notice of Transfer of Proceedings often specifies Clerkenwell & Shoreditch for "allocation" purposes only.

• After allocation (i.e. after a judge reviews the Directions Questionnaire or issues Directions), the case is usually re-transferred to the defendant’s home court, or the court deemed most convenient by the judiciary, particularly when a hearing is necessary.

• Clerkenwell & Shoreditch does handle some hearings, but it is not necessarily where the hearing will take place — unless both parties are local or the judge explicitly orders it.

Regarding Hendon (NW London):


Clerkenwell & Shoreditch is likely being used as an administrative centre for allocation only. If a hearing is required, it will likely be re-transferred to your nearest county court with civil jurisdiction (e.g., Willesden, Barnet, or Edmonton).

You don't need to worry at this stage; no hearing will be held at Clerkenwell & Shoreditch unless specifically ordered.

OK. So you now know the Court which will hear the case is Clerkenwell & Shoreditch. The hearing is set for 12:00pm Monday 4th August. The parties must submit their witness statement bundles no later than 4pm on Thursday 17th July. And the most critical date of all... the claimant must pay the trial fee no later than 4pm on Monday 7th July.

So, unless you hear otherwise, by way of a copy of an N279 Notice of Discontinuation before then, you should call the court on Tuesday 8th July to confirm whether the claimant has paid the trial fee and if hearing date has been vacated.

Let us know the situation then.

Keep phoning the court today and tomorrow. If the trial fee has not been paid, then the claim is automatically struck out.

Ask whether the hearing has been vacated.

Well, the order says that if the trial fee has not been paid, then it is struck out. It does not say if the trial fee payment has been requested. If this goes to a hearing, I'll eat my hat.

It's not for you to contact them or prompt them to try and recover from their failures. Call the court again today. If it is not showing as having been paid, then it hasn't been paid. Electronic payment is instantaneous these days.

Did they say the hearing is still listed?

Is the person have been speaking to at the local court or at a central calls centre?

If you want to contact DCB Legal, then you can do so. I would't do anything until the deadline for WS submission has passed. No point you submitting yours before theirs. Even if they submit on the last day, you can submit yours a day late. It is small claims track and they are more flexible, especially for laypeople.