N244 Form: How Court Applications Work in Debt Cases

What the N244 Form Is — and Why Someone in Debt Might Need It

The N244 form is the standard application notice used in county courts in England and Wales. When a person wants to ask the court to do something — suspend a warrant, set aside a County Court Judgment (CCJ), or vary the terms of an existing order — this is usually the form they need to complete and file. It is one of the most commonly used court forms in personal debt situations.

People typically come across the N244 after enforcement action has already started: a bailiff has been instructed, a warrant of control has been issued, or a CCJ has appeared on a credit record without the person realising a claim had been made. The N244 gives a formal route to ask a judge to pause or review that process.

The form itself is published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service and is available on GOV.UK. It is a general-purpose application notice, meaning it is not specific to debt — but in practice, debt-related applications make up a large proportion of N244 filings in the county court.

Common Reasons Someone Files an N244 in a Debt Case

There is no single reason to use an N244 — it is a catch-all application form. In debt cases, however, it tends to be used for a handful of specific purposes.

Setting Aside a County Court Judgment

If a CCJ was issued without the defendant knowing about it — often because a claim form was sent to an old address — an application to set it aside can be made using the N244. According to GOV.UK, a CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years unless paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment. Setting aside the judgment removes it, but the creditor still has the right to pursue the original debt through proper court proceedings.

A judge will consider whether the application was made promptly, whether there is a real prospect of successfully defending the claim, and whether there is a good reason why the defendant did not respond to the original claim. These are not guarantees of success — the outcome depends on individual circumstances.

Suspending a Warrant of Control

Once a creditor obtains a CCJ and the debtor fails to pay, the creditor can apply for a warrant of control, which instructs an enforcement agent (bailiff) to attend the debtor's address and take goods. Filing an N244 to suspend the warrant — sometimes called a warrant suspension application — can pause enforcement while the court considers the application. If granted, the suspension is usually conditional: it typically requires the debtor to maintain agreed repayments.

Timing matters here. The enforcement agent receives the warrant and sends a Notice of Enforcement. Since 1 May 2026, the Notice of Enforcement must give at least 14 clear days before a first visit (Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day are excluded from that count). Filing an N244 promptly within that window can prevent the enforcement stage from beginning.

Varying an Instalment Order

Where a court has already set repayment terms — for example, a monthly instalment order following a CCJ — and someone's financial circumstances have changed significantly, an N244 can be used to ask the court to vary the amount. A judge may reduce monthly payments if there is sufficient evidence of reduced income or increased essential expenditure.

Other Applications

The N244 is also used to apply for a charging order to be set aside, to request an attachment of earnings be reconsidered, or in some cases to challenge the enforcement of a High Court writ. Its flexibility makes it the default application notice for most county court requests not covered by a more specific form.

How to Complete the N244 Form

The N244 is a multi-part form. It asks for basic identifying information about the case — the claim number, the names of the parties, and the court where the case is being heard. The most important section is the box asking what order the applicant is seeking and the reasons for the application.

This section should be completed clearly and concisely. A judge reading the form needs to understand what is being requested, why, and what evidence supports it. Vague or incomplete applications are less likely to succeed. Supporting evidence — such as a statement of means, bank statements, or a witness statement explaining why a judgment was not responded to — is usually attached as a separate document.

The form asks whether the applicant wants a hearing or whether the application can be decided without one ("on the papers"). In most debt cases involving a warrant suspension or a set-aside application, a hearing is standard practice. The court will then list the matter and notify both parties of the date.

Once completed, the N244 and any supporting documents should be filed at the court handling the original claim, along with the correct fee or a completed fee remission form. A copy must also be served on the other party (usually the creditor or their solicitors), in accordance with the court's directions.

What Happens After the N244 Is Filed

After the N244 is received by the court, the process depends on what is being requested. For a warrant suspension, the court may grant an interim suspension — temporarily halting enforcement — until the full hearing. This is not automatic, but it is common where the application is filed before a bailiff has made their first enforcement visit.

At the hearing itself, both sides have the opportunity to put their position to the judge. The creditor may oppose the application, particularly if there has been a long history of non-payment. The judge will then make an order — granting, refusing, or making the application conditional on certain terms being met.

If an application is refused, there may be grounds to appeal, but this is a separate legal process and is generally more complex. If granted, the terms of the order become binding. Failing to comply with conditions — such as maintaining reduced monthly payments — risks the warrant being re-issued or further enforcement action following.

N244 Applications and Bailiff Fee Exposure

Understanding where an enforcement case stands at the point of filing an N244 can affect the costs involved. Enforcement agents in England and Wales operate under a statutory fee structure that changed on 1 May 2026. The current fees are:

• Compliance stage: £79 — added as soon as the warrant is passed to the enforcement agent
• Enforcement stage: £247 — added once the agent visits or contacts the debtor
• Sale or disposal stage: £116 — added if goods are taken and sold
• Plus 7.5% of any debt above £1,900 at the enforcement and sale stages

If an N244 suspension application is granted before the enforcement stage begins, it may limit the fees that can be added to the debt. Once a bailiff has made an enforcement visit, the £247 fee is typically already due. This makes early filing significant in cost terms as well as procedural ones.

Limits of the N244 and When Other Options May Apply

The N244 is a procedural tool — it does not resolve the underlying debt. A successful suspension or set-aside gives time and an opportunity to engage with the creditor or seek regulated debt advice, but the original obligation usually remains. Someone who has a CCJ set aside still faces the possibility of the creditor re-issuing the claim and obtaining a fresh judgment through the proper process.

For someone with multiple debts and no realistic ability to repay them in full, a court application on a single debt may provide temporary relief but not a long-term resolution. Formal debt solutions — such as a Debt Relief Order, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, or bankruptcy — operate entirely separately from county court applications and must be considered through regulated advice channels.

Free debt advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice, and National Debtline. These organisations can help assess whether a formal debt solution might be appropriate alongside or instead of a court application.

Frequently Asked Questions About the N244 Form

Can the N244 be used to stop bailiffs immediately?

Filing an N244 to suspend a warrant does not automatically stop an enforcement agent from visiting. The court may grant an interim suspension, but this is not guaranteed and is not instant. Filing as early as possible — ideally within the 14-clear-day Notice of Enforcement period — gives the best chance of pausing enforcement before a visit occurs.

Is there a fee to file an N244, and can it be waived?

The standard fee for an N244 application is £303 in most debt-related county court cases. People on certain qualifying benefits or with a sufficiently low income may apply for fee remission using form EX160, which is available on GOV.UK. Fee remission is assessed separately and does not affect the application itself.

What evidence should be included with the N244?

For a warrant suspension, a current statement of means (income and expenditure) is usually expected, along with any supporting documents such as payslips or benefit letters. For a set-aside application, a witness statement explaining why the original claim was not responded to is typically required, together with an outline of any defence to the claim. Incomplete evidence reduces the likelihood of the application succeeding.

Does filing an N244 affect a credit record?

Filing the N244 itself does not appear on a credit record. However, if the application relates to a CCJ and that CCJ remains in place, it will continue to show on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years from the date it was entered. If the CCJ is successfully set aside, it is removed from the register — but setting aside the judgment does not automatically restore a credit record if other negative entries exist.