General

Default Judgments: The Real Reason Most People Get a CCJ

Sep 29, 2025

What Is a Default Judgment?

A default judgment is a court order issued automatically when you don’t respond to a County Court claim within the required time , usually 14 days from the date of service (or 28 days if you file an acknowledgment of service).In simple terms: if you don’t reply, the court assumes the claim is correct and issues a CCJ by default.You don’t get a hearing, and you don’t get to defend yourself. It’s fast, automatic, and often completely unnoticed, until you try to get a mortgage or loan and get rejected.

How Common Are Default Judgments?

According to the Ministry of Justice, 93% of all CCJs are default judgments.That’s over 900,000 people every year being hit with a judgment simply because they didn’t reply, often because they didn’t even know a court claim had been made against them.

How Does Someone End Up With a Default Judgment CCJ?

Common scenarios include:

Moved house and the claim form went to an old address
Thought it was just another debt collection letter
Felt too anxious or confused to respond
Didn’t realise court action had even started
If you don’t file a defence or acknowledgement of service, the court doesn’t wait, it enters a judgment by default.

Can a Default Judgment Be Removed or Challenged?

Yes — you can apply to have a default judgment “set aside”, which means asking the court to cancel it so you can properly respond.

You can apply if:

You didn’t receive the papers (e.g., wrong address)
You have a real defence to the claim
You acted promptly once you found out⚠️ Time is critical: the court expects you to act quickly, ideally within weeks, not months.

What If the Court Papers Went to the Wrong Address?

This is one of the most common causes of default judgments.

Maybe:

You moved recently and didn’t update your address
A creditor used old records
You rented a flat and the new tenants binned your mail

If you didn’t receive the paperwork, the court may agree to set aside the judgment, especially if you can show that you had no knowledge of the claim.

You’ll need to provide:

Proof of your address history
Bank statements or tenancy agreements
A witness statement explaining what happened

What Are Your Rights If You Didn’t Know About the Claim?

You have the right to a fair trial.

If a CCJ was issued against you without your knowledge, you can ask for it to be set aside and for the case to be re-heard.

This is your opportunity to:

Defend yourself properly

Negotiate a payment plan

Show evidence that you don’t owe the debt

How Challenge CCJ Can Help

The process of setting aside a default judgment is jargon filled and paperwork-heavy. But it doesn’t have to be.

With Challenge CCJ, you can:
- Automatically fill in the N244 form
- Generate a sound witness statement
- Upload evidence and get it bundled for court
- Get support throughout the process — even if you’ve never dealt with legal stuff before

Our AI assistant Allen makes it simple, fast, and far less stressful than going it alone.

Final Thoughts

Default judgments catch people off guard — and they make up the vast majority of CCJs.

But just because it was automatic doesn’t mean it’s permanent. If you’ve received a CCJ you didn’t know about or didn’t understand at the time, you might have a very strong chance of getting it removed.

The key is acting fast.

Tools like Challenge CCJ exist to help you fight back without needing to hire an expensive solicitor.