Legal Dispute Guide

How to Remove County Court Judgments (CCJs) from Your Credit File

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is the most severe negative mark that can be placed on a consumer's credit file in the UK. Registered by a court at the request of a creditor, it remains on your public record for six years, severely damaging your ability to get a mortgage, credit cards, or bank accounts.

However, a CCJ is not permanent if it was registered unfairly, or if you act quickly.

There are two primary methods to remove a CCJ from your credit file: paying it within 30 days, or applying to have it Set Aside by a judge.

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Method 1: The 30-Day Cancellation Rule

If you agree that you owe the money, you have a statutory window to cancel the judgment.

The Rule: If you pay the CCJ in full within 30 days of the judgment date, you are legally entitled to have it completely removed from the public Register of Judgments and all credit reference files.
The Action: Once paid, request a receipt from the creditor. You must then apply to the court for a Certificate of Cancellation by submitting Form N443 along with a court fee. Once processed, the CCJ vanishes from your credit files as if it never existed.

Note: If you pay the CCJ *after* the 30-day window, you cannot have it removed. It will be marked as "Satisfied" on your credit file. This is better than "Unsatisfied," but the mark will still stay on your file for the full six years.

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Method 2: Applying to "Set Aside" a CCJ (Form N244)

If you did not receive the original court claim papers—usually because the creditor sent them to a previous address—you can apply to the court to have the CCJ Set Aside (un-done).

To do this, you must submit a formal court application using Form N244.

Grounds for Setting Aside a CCJ

To successfully set aside a judgment, you must satisfy two legal criteria to a judge:

1. A Good Reason for Lack of Notice: You must prove you did not receive the claim form. (e.g., showing utility bills proving you lived at a different address when the papers were served).

2. A Real Prospect of Defence: You must show that if you had received the papers, you had a viable defence against the claim (e.g., the debt was already settled, was statute-barred, or the amount was incorrect).

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How to Complete the N244 Set Aside Application

1. Download Form N244: Download the official N244 application form from the GOV.UK website.

2. Fill in Your Details: Enter the claimant's details (the creditor), your details (the defendant), and the original court case number.

3. State Your Order Request: In the section asking what order you want the court to make, copy and paste this legal wording:

"I am requesting that the County Court Judgment dated [insert date] be set aside under CPR 13.3 on the grounds that I did not receive the Claim Form and was therefore unable to defend myself. The Claim Form was sent to [your old address], which was not my residential address at the time, and I had no knowledge of these court proceedings until the judgment was issued."

4. Provide Supporting Evidence: Attach copies of tenancy agreements, council tax bills, or bank statements proving your actual address at the date the claim form was issued.

5. Submit the Form & Fee: Send the form to the County Court that issued the judgment. The court fee is currently £308 (without a hearing consent) or £108 (with consent). If you are on a low income, you can apply for a fee waiver using Form EX160.

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What Happens at the Hearing?

If the judge accepts your application, the CCJ is immediately deleted from your credit reports. The claim is reset to the beginning. This gives you the opportunity to either dispute the debt properly or negotiate a settlement with the creditor outside of court without a judgment destroying your credit file.