Case study

Modern justice for all: Our Online Civil Money Claims reformed service helps more people settle disputes away from the courtroom

Every year, thousands of people and businesses need to recover money they're owed through the county courts. They do this through making civil money claims, which help to ensure access to justice and promote economic stability by allowing individuals and business to resolve disputes fairly and efficiently.

From:
HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Published
24 March 2025

Before 2018, the process was delivered through paper forms or using Money Claim Online (MCOL), a system that was only partially digital. This meant:Ā 

  • users having to wait for long periods of time for case updatesĀ 

  • paperwork sometimes got lost, causing further delay and inconvenience for usersĀ 

  • increased chance of human error when inputting dataĀ 

  • complicated legal jargon, causing confusion for usersĀ 

  • high costs of printing, posting and transporting paper, as well as the associated environmental impactĀ Ā 

We knew there was a clear opportunity to create a user-focused digital process from start to finish, where users ā€“ members of the public, business owners or legal professionals ā€“ could resolve disputes in a simple, accessible and proportionate way.Ā 

We created the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service to help people resolve financial disputes quickly and easily, whether theyā€™re dealing with unpaid invoices, undelivered goods, or contract disputes.Ā 

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Between April 2019 and October 2024, more than 495,000 claims have been made by users without a solicitor or legal representative and of these, more than 162,000 were settled without needing a hearing.Ā  More than 58,600 claims have been made by legal professionals on behalf of a client through OCMC.Ā 

OCMC is designed with our users in mind:Ā 

  • we now engage with users by email, so they donā€™t need to wait for updates by post, and updates to the case are made in real timeĀ 

  • the OCMC dashboard is available at any time day or night, reducing the need to chase up case updates within office hoursĀ Ā 

  • users can manage their case digitally by following easy to understand promptsĀ 

  • we see more users engaging with the system - more defendants are responding to claims and most importantly, more partiesĀ  are settling without needing court intervention

  • for those cases that do require a hearing, OCMC has made the process much more efficient. For example. the time from claim issue to receive a directions order is now three times faster which means that cases can be ready for hearing fasterĀ 

  • the financial and environmental cost to the taxpayer associated with the use and transportation of paper forms has been reducedĀ 

Our digital transformationĀ 

Starting in 2018, weā€™ve completely redesigned how money claims work:Ā 

  • created a fully digital journey from start to finishĀ 

  • replaced legal jargon with clear, simple languageĀ 

  • built an intuitive dashboard for unrepresented users that shows real-time case updatesĀ 

  • engaged with users via email rather than just postal address, providing timely, regular and clear updatesĀ Ā 

  • introduced the online case management system MyHMCTS for legal professionals to manage a variety of legal matters, including online civil money claimsĀ 

  • added Welsh language options for defendantsĀ 

  • expanded the service to handle larger value claimsĀ Ā 

  • empowered legal advisors to give digital directions for smaller claimsĀ 

  • established ā€˜early adopterā€™ courts to test improvements and build confidence before rolling out nationallyĀ 

The increase in speed to progress cases brought using the digital service has been significant:Ā 

  • the time it takes from issuing a claim to receiving a directions order - which sets out how a case that is disputed will be heard and what evidence is required for hearing, - is now just over 8 weeks compared to 30 weeks for paper cases ā€“ thatā€™s more than three times quickerĀ 

  • more users are responding to claims than ever before and more cases are being settledĀ 

Getting supportĀ 

We understand that digital services arenā€™t suitable for everyone. Thatā€™s why we:Ā 

  • maintain paper options for those who need themĀ 

  • partner with We Are Digital to provide in-person supportĀ 

  • have a dedicated team at our Service Centre in Stoke to handle all online civil money claims enquiriesĀ 

  • use feedback data to identify and remove barriers for users with disabilitiesĀ 

  • provide extra support for those struggling with the digital processĀ 

Feedback and insightsĀ 

Users are consistently positive about the serviceā€™s accessibility and efficiency:Ā 

Found form very easy to use and fill in.

The online forms were very easy to complete and, when settled, it was easy to update the claim to reflect this.

An entirely positive experience. Each section of the application was clear and easy to use. Progress through the different sections was logical and intuitive.

ā€œI was recently asked to represent a client involved in a dispute with a builder. She had hired the firm to construct an extension to her home, but the project was riddled with problems from the very beginning. The work faced numerous delays and when a local authority surveyor came to inspect the extension, it failed to meet building control standards. Naturally, my client wanted to file a money claim against the building firm, who also had legal representation.ā€ÆĀ 

ā€œThankfully, the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service made the whole process straightforward. As my firm uses the MyHMCTS portal, uploading documents was quick and easy.ā€ÆĀ 

ā€œThe process took about ten weeks for the directions order to be issuedā€”a decision from the judge on how much the defendant should pay. My client was satisfied with this outcome, as it gave her time to hire a new builder to fix the issues with the extension.ā€ÆĀ 

ā€œIā€™ve been with my firm for many years, so I remember the days of dealing with claims on paper and using the MCOL system. While MCOL marked an important step toward digitalisation, the new OCMC system is far superior. I can log in whenever it suits me, upload documents, and thereā€™s no more waiting for physical files to arrive in the post.ā€ā€ÆĀ 

Working togetherĀ 

We worked closely with:ā€ÆĀ 

  • legal professionals working in the civil jurisdiction who fed back on the system design and usability Ā Ā 

  • the judiciary as a vital partner at all levelsĀ 

Future plansĀ 

Weā€™re committed to continuing improvements by:Ā 

  • using collected data to identify and address user barriersĀ 

  • expanding digital features based on user feedbackĀ 

  • streamlining processes further to reduce resolution timesĀ 

  • ensuring the service remains accessible to all usersĀ 

  • seeking further funding to develop new features that will support more complex casesĀ 

Stay updatedĀ 

by subscribing to our e-alerts and newsletters.Ā Ā 

For support with making a claim of Ā£25,000 or less, visit make a court claim for money: Make a claim - 51²č¹Ż

Updates to this page

Published 24 March 2025

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