The parties
The correct legal names and addresses of the claimant and the defendant — a company’s registered name, not just a trading name.
Guide
The N1 claim form,
explained.
The N1 is the form that starts a County Court money claim, and the Particulars of Claim are where you explain the debt. For an unpaid invoice these two documents open the case. Here is what goes on each, and the one line that makes them serious.
Direct answer
The N1 is the County Court claim form that starts a money claim; the Particulars of Claim set out what you are owed and why. For an unpaid invoice, these two documents open the court process. RobinReturn prepares them from your case; you file them, usually through Money Claim Online.
TL;DR
- The N1 is the form that starts a County Court claim.
- The Particulars of Claim explain what is owed and why.
- For an invoice: the debt, its basis, interest and compensation.
- File it through Money Claim Online, or on paper for the N1.
- A statement of truth signs it — the facts must be right.
What the form does
Two documents,
one claim.
The N1 opens the case; the Particulars of Claim tell its story. Together they are what a County Court money claim is made of.
The N1 is the County Court claim form. It carries the headline facts — who is claiming, who from, and how much — and it is the document that formally starts the case. The Particulars of Claim is the accompanying detail: the account of why the money is owed. For a fixed sum of money, such as an unpaid invoice, Money Claim Online is the digital version of the same thing — you enter the claim online rather than posting the paper N1.
What goes on it
The debt,
set out plainly.
A claim is only as strong as its detail. These are the elements the N1 and Particulars need for an unpaid invoice.
The amount
The sum claimed — the debt, plus the interest you are adding and the court fee — so the total the defendant must answer is clear.
The basis of the debt
The invoice number and date, what it was for, and the contract or purchase order it arose under — that the sum fell due and has not been paid.
Interest and compensation
Any statutory interest and the fixed compensation claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act, with the basis for each.
The court fee
The fee to issue, which scales with the amount claimed and is recoverable from the debtor if you win.
The statement of truth
A signed confirmation that the facts are true — the line that makes the whole document a serious one.
After you file it
Issued, served,
then answered.
Filing is the start, not the end — what the defendant does next sets the path.
Once you file, the court issues the claim and it is served on the defendant, who normally has 14 days to respond. If they do not respond at all, you can ask the court to enter a default judgment; if they admit the debt, you can request judgment on the admission. If they file a defence, the claim continues on the small-claims track towards a hearing.
RobinReturn prepares the N1 and Particulars from your case; you file them yourself, because there is no programming interface to Money Claim Online. Because a statement of truth is a serious document, get the figures and dates right before you sign. New to the terms here? See the glossary, or read the full recovery process.
FAQs
Common questions,
answered.
What is an N1 claim form?
The N1 is the County Court claim form used to start a civil money claim in England & Wales. For an unpaid invoice it is the document that opens the case: it names the claimant and defendant, states the amount claimed, and is where the claim formally begins. Money Claim Online is the digital equivalent for a specified sum of money.
What are the Particulars of Claim?
The Particulars of Claim are the part that explains what you are claiming and why — the story of the debt. For an unpaid invoice they set out the invoice number and date, the contract or order behind it, that the sum is due and unpaid, and any statutory interest and fixed compensation you are adding. They can sit on the N1 itself or be attached as a separate document.
Do I use the N1 or Money Claim Online?
For a straightforward unpaid invoice — a fixed sum against one or two defendants based in England & Wales — Money Claim Online is usually the simplest route and handles claims for less than £100,000. The paper N1 is used for claims that do not fit MCOL. RobinReturn prepares the claim either way; you file it, because there is no programming interface to MCOL.
What do I put in the Particulars for an unpaid invoice?
The essentials: who the parties are, the invoice number and date and what it was for, the contract or purchase order it arose under, that the sum fell due and has not been paid, and the interest and fixed compensation claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Keep it factual and complete — it is the basis the court and the defendant work from.
What is the statement of truth?
Every claim form and Particulars of Claim carry a statement of truth — a signed confirmation that the facts stated are true. It is a serious document: making a false statement in it, without an honest belief that it is true, can be dealt with as contempt of court. That is why the figures and dates must be right before you file.
Ready to prepare
the claim?
Most invoices are paid long before a claim form is needed. Start with a reminder, and let the paperwork be the last resort. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.