How to Fill In the N1 Claim Form (Step-by-Step, With an Example)

If you’ve decided to make a small claim on paper rather than online, the form you need is the N1. It looks short, four or five pages, but it’s the document that starts your entire case, and small mistakes on it cause real problems later. This guide goes through it box by box.

Before you get here, it’s worth reading our guide on how to make a small claim if you haven’t already, since it covers whether you should use the N1 at all or issue online instead, and how to work out your interest before you start filling anything in.

When you actually need the paper N1

Most straightforward money claims can go through HMCTS’s online service, which is faster and identical in cost. You need the paper N1 instead if your claim is for an unspecified amount, if you’re suing multiple defendants in certain combinations, or if your particulars of claim need supporting documents attached that don’t fit the online system’s format. If none of those apply to you, the online route will likely be simpler.

Box by box

Claimant and defendant details. Get the defendant’s name exactly right, this trips up more claims than almost anything else on the form. If you’re suing a business, check whether it’s a limited company, a sole trader, or a partnership, because the correct legal name differs in each case, and it’s rarely just the name painted on the shopfront. A quick Companies House search settles this in under a minute and can save you an entirely wasted claim against an entity that doesn’t legally exist.

Brief details of claim. A short summary, one or two sentences, of what the claim is about. This isn’t where the detail goes, that’s the particulars section, but it needs to be accurate enough that anyone glancing at the court file understands the case at a glance.

Value. State the amount you’re claiming, including any interest calculated to the date of issue. Getting this figure right matters because your court fee is calculated directly from it, and an under-claimed amount can mean under-paying the fee, which the court will query.

Particulars of claim. This is the heart of the form, and where cases are genuinely won or lost before they even reach a judge. Set out, in date order, what happened: what was agreed, what was supplied or done, what went wrong, and what you’re owed as a result. Write it as a sequence of facts, not as an argument or a complaint. A judge reading it should be able to follow exactly what happened without needing to ask you anything.

A short example, adapted to your situation:

“On 3 March 2026, the Claimant engaged the Defendant to carry out plumbing repairs at [address] for an agreed price of £450. The Defendant completed the work on 10 March 2026 and issued an invoice for the agreed sum. Despite repeated requests, the Defendant has failed to pay any part of this invoice. The Claimant claims £450, together with interest pursuant to section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984.”

Notice what that example doesn’t do: it doesn’t editorialise, it doesn’t say the defendant was unreasonable or difficult, it just states what happened and what’s owed. That restraint is exactly what makes particulars effective.

Statement of truth. You’re signing to confirm everything in the form is true. This isn’t a formality, and it’s the reason you, not us, sign and file it. Whoever signs a court document is making a formal declaration, and that responsibility sits with you as the claimant.

The three mistakes that come up again and again

Suing the wrong legal entity, covered above, and worth repeating because it’s genuinely the most common issue. Understating interest, which means leaving money on the table you were legally entitled to claim. And particulars that describe frustration rather than facts, “they’ve been impossible to deal with” tells a judge nothing useful; “they agreed to pay by 1 April and have not paid” does.

What happens after you submit it

Once the court processes your N1, it gets served on the defendant, and the clock starts on their 14 days to respond. Our guide on what happens after service covers what to expect from here, including what it means if they do nothing, admit the claim, or file a defence.

Where we come in

We prepare particulars of claim to a professional, court-ready standard for a fixed fee of £159, drafted around the specific facts of your case rather than a generic template. You still file the form yourself, in your own name, and the case stays yours.

See our fixed fees, or get in touch for a free initial look.