Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based processes. Once a claim has dropped offline, claimants can still access the claim on MCOL, but it will not contain information on any further progress – this can be gained by contacting the local county court or Civil National Business Centre (CNBC). HMCTS’ newer digital platform, Online Civil Money Claims, offers a full end to end digital journey for defended cases to the point of judgment, with the ability to progress, respond and review case history 24/7.

Variation Orders can be applied for by someone with a judgment against them who wishes to vary the terms of that order. They are a post-judgment process, with the application and subsequent order being made on paper and sent to both parties by post. This action is not processed through or recorded on MCOL.

There is a limited number of documents that can be filed by defendants through MCOL. Similarly, the only applications that can be filed through MCOL are applications to set aside judgment. Any other documents or applications must be filed on paper to either the CNBC or local county court. HMCTS processes submissions and applications in order of receipt. They are not prioritised based on the party that filed them.

There are several different types of applications which can be made during a money claim, and they have different processing times. The term ‘submissions’ is broad and can refer to any number of documents submitted by either party. The weekly performance data for the CNBC can be found here: Weekly performance national business centre updated 17 June 2026 - GOV.UK.

Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based processes. Once a claim has dropped offline, claimants can still access the claim on MCOL, but it will not contain information on any further progress – this can be gained by contacting the local county court or Civil National Business Centre (CNBC). HMCTS’ newer digital platform, Online Civil Money Claims, offers a full end to end digital journey for defended cases to the point of judgment, with the ability to progress, respond and review case history 24/7.

Variation Orders can be applied for by someone with a judgment against them who wishes to vary the terms of that order. They are a post-judgment process, with the application and subsequent order being made on paper and sent to both parties by post. This action is not processed through or recorded on MCOL.

There is a limited number of documents that can be filed by defendants through MCOL. Similarly, the only applications that can be filed through MCOL are applications to set aside judgment. Any other documents or applications must be filed on paper to either the CNBC or local county court. HMCTS processes submissions and applications in order of receipt. They are not prioritised based on the party that filed them.

There are several different types of applications which can be made during a money claim, and they have different processing times. The term ‘submissions’ is broad and can refer to any number of documents submitted by either party. The weekly performance data for the CNBC can be found here: Weekly performance national business centre updated 17 June 2026 - GOV.UK.

Money Claim Online (MCOL) is an online service that enables claimants to issue claims, to request judgment and to request a warrant of control. It does not provide an end-to-end online journey, and some actions must be undertaken using paper-based processes. Once a claim has dropped offline, claimants can still access the claim on MCOL, but it will not contain information on any further progress – this can be gained by contacting the local county court or Civil National Business Centre (CNBC). HMCTS’ newer digital platform, Online Civil Money Claims, offers a full end to end digital journey for defended cases to the point of judgment, with the ability to progress, respond and review case history 24/7.

Variation Orders can be applied for by someone with a judgment against them who wishes to vary the terms of that order. They are a post-judgment process, with the application and subsequent order being made on paper and sent to both parties by post. This action is not processed through or recorded on MCOL.

There is a limited number of documents that can be filed by defendants through MCOL. Similarly, the only applications that can be filed through MCOL are applications to set aside judgment. Any other documents or applications must be filed on paper to either the CNBC or local county court. HMCTS processes submissions and applications in order of receipt. They are not prioritised based on the party that filed them.

There are several different types of applications which can be made during a money claim, and they have different processing times. The term ‘submissions’ is broad and can refer to any number of documents submitted by either party. The weekly performance data for the CNBC can be found here: Weekly performance national business centre updated 17 June 2026 - GOV.UK.

The Department published its evaluation of the Online Civil Money Claims service on 11 September 2025, available on GOV.UK at: HM Courts & Tribunals Service Reform: Digital Services Evaluation - GOV.UK. This evaluation included assessments of case timeliness, equality outcomes and perceptions of fairness, and user experiences of and trust in case management.

There were more than 1.9 million civil claims issued in the County Court in 2025. County Court claims can be made via HMCTS’ modern digital services (Online Civil Money Claims and Damages Claims services), older digital services (Money Claims Online and Possession Claims Online) or on paper.

HMCTS keeps the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service under routine operational monitoring.

No assessment has been undertaken specifically on the reliability of recording and processing defendants’ submissions. Issues identified through live running have been limited in number and resolved promptly and have not indicated a need for a wider assessment.

In 2025, of incidents and complaints received by HMCTS relating to civil claims, 342 complaints were classified as ‘documents or information went missing’, 222 complaints classified as ‘my documents were not filed’; 92 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents inside HMCTS premises’ and 31 data incidents recorded as ‘loss or theft of paper documents outside HMCTS premises’. There will be further instances of lost or unprocessed documents which have not been recorded, for example because they have not caused a complaint or data incident.

HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims though work to digitalise processes. The OCMC and Damages Claims services enable parties to manage a civil claim digitally from start to finish, including the ability to upload evidence, make applications and view judicial orders online. A digital Possession Service is being developed. The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of the Civil Courts with an over £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court. HMCTS is also improving internal electronic document management and replacing paper-based and email processes with a digital, centrally stored case file, reducing reliance on manual handling and physical transfer of documents between teams and courts.

HMCTS has processes to reduce the risk of default judgment being entered where a defence has been submitted but not yet processed. Defences provided by paper are prioritised and judgment requests returned; Money Claims Online (MCOL) applies a buffer to check for paper responses; and responses provided on paper to claims made via OCMC are processed on receipt, with functionality to set aside judgments where a response and judgment request coincide.

“Properly processed” means received and recorded by the court. Where a defence has not been received, default judgment cannot be prevented, but urgent set-aside processes are in place where court error is identified.

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service.

HMCTS supports this by issuing guidance to parties and writing to them in advance of their appointment with practical information about the mediation process, including relevant contact details. Judges also retain discretion to apply sanctions where a party fails to engage appropriately.

The civil courts offer several different enforcement methods that a judgment creditor may apply for to recover money owed on a court judgment. The Government is committed to ensuring that these processes are effective and fair. The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council’s report about enforcement processes, which made a number of recommendations to make them more accessible and streamlined. The Government is considering these findings and will respond in due course.

Since the introduction of integrated mediation for small claims under £10,000 in the county courts in 2024, attendance at mediation appointments has been mandatory. As part of the litigation journey, parties are required to attend a free, one-hour mediation appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service.

Where mediation is not successful, the case will progress to a court hearing.

The HMCTS Small Claims Mediation Service has been closely involved in the implementation of mandatory mediation for small claims in the county courts, working together with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the service and its staff are fully prepared to manage the increase in case volume.

Money Claim Online (MCOL) has provided claimants with an electronic means by which to make money claims online since 2002. Including claims made by bulk users, the system handles over 1 million claims per annum.

As part of HMCTS Reform programme, HMCTS has created a new digital service – Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) – which enables users to issue, respond to and manage a claim digitally, including the ability to settle a claim without court intervention and uploading evidence for hearings. OCMC has been available since 2018 and handles around 120,000 claims per year. The OCMC service was recently evaluated with the findings published and available on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/modern-justice-for-all-our-online-civil-money-claims-reformed-service-helps-more-people-settle-disputes-away-from-the-courtroom.

The courts, as the cornerstone of the civil justice system, play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, enabling businesses and citizens to resolve disputes in a timely fashion and uphold their rights.

Though most civil claims made in the county courts result in a default judgment or out-of-court settlement, there have been long standing challenges with delays in the 3% of claims that require a full trial. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is working in partnership with the judiciary to address this.

We have increased the use of mediation, making mediation a requirement in all defended claims for under £10,000. This enables more claims to reach a consensual resolution at an earlier stage and frees up resource to deal with those claims that require judicial determination. In addition, increased digital working through our reformed systems allow money claims, including those involving businesses with legal representation, to reach trial readiness over three times quicker than paper claims.

The Official Injury Claim (OIC) service is a free, easy-to-use online system owned and operated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. OIC was built to be usable and accessible including to those with access needs or who prefer or require assistive or adaptive technologies.

On-screen guidance leads both represented and unrepresented claimants through the claims process, supported by an online help-hub and additional written guidance. There is also a dedicated telephone Portal Support Centre who can assist claimants who need to make a paper-based claim. The OIC also provides translation services in multiple foreign languages.

Ministry of Justice officials continue to work with MIB to increase awareness and improve the visibility of the OIC through identifying and implementing appropriate web optimisation. Regularly updated useful information on making a claim via the OIC is also available on GOV.UK.

Average settlement time for claims going through the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal at the end of February 2024 was 239 days. This can be broken down to 259 days for represented claimants and 115 days for unrepresented claimants. Further information and data on OIC can be found here: https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/resources-for-professionals/data/.

The information requested by the could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. HMCTS does not record the reason for bringing a small claim, this information is contained within the ‘particulars of claim’ and therefore obtaining this information would require a manual review of all small claims files.

Money Claim Online (MCOL) is a digital service first released in 2001 which allows users to start and reply to a civil money claim for a fixed amount of money less than £100,000. Digital claims and responses are processed automatically on the day of receipt, users also have the opportunity to respond on paper, these paper responses can take longer to process. Weekly performance statistics are published here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-civil-business-centres-performance-information/weekly-performance-national-business-centres-updated-5-december-2022. If a case is defended it is no longer supported on MCOL and is printed and posted to a local county court to proceed on papers only.

HMCTS has invested £1.3bn in the HMCTS Reform Programme to deliver large-scale modernisation. As part of the Programme, HMCTS is developing the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service - providing a more modern, user-friendly service beyond the functionality of the MCOL service. Cases progress three times quicker in the OCMC service (9 weeks compared to 27 weeks) and user satisfaction currently sits at 97%. The service will ultimately replace MCOL.