Hearings & judgments

If a case goes to court, the plaintiff (the person who starts the claim) must prove their case to the ‘balance of probabilities’ to be successful. This means they must prove to the judge that their version of events is most likely to be true.

Before the hearing

The letter sent to you by the court will tell you the court’s address and the date and time you need to be there. You can also ask your lawyer or the court the day before if the time has changed. This might happen if other cases don’t go ahead.

You’ll be told if you need to take anything to court.

If you’re worried about your safety at the court, you or your lawyer should talk to the court before the hearing.

Find out more about security at court

If you’re going to be late or can’t attend, you should tell your lawyer or the court as soon as possible.

What to expect in the court room

If you have a lawyer to represent you in court, they’ll tell you what to expect in the court room.

If you’re representing yourself or you just want detailed information, you can find out more in the section for people representing themselves in court:

Judge’s decision

The judge might make a decision straight away and tell you in the court room, or they might make the decision later (this is called reserving the judgment). The court will send you a written copy of the decision, or a letter to tell you what was decided.

If you don’t agree with the decision about your case, you can make an appeal to a senior court.

Find out more about appealing a judgment, decision or ruling

If the other person has been ordered to do something, like pay you money, and doesn’t follow the judge’s decision, you can ask the court to enforce the Order.

Find out more about enforcement

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