Online Civil Claims Reform: Settling Disputes Outside Court
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.
Before 2018, the process was delivered through paper forms or using Money Claim Online (MCOL), a system that was only partially digital. This meant:
users having to wait for long periods of time for case updates
paperwork sometimes got lost, causing further delay and inconvenience for users
increased chance of human error when inputting data
complicated legal jargon, causing confusion for users
high costs of printing, posting and transporting paper, as well as the associated environmental impact
We knew there was a clear opportunity to create a user-focused digital process from start to finish, where users – members of the public, business owners or legal professionals – could resolve disputes in a simple, accessible and proportionate way.
We created the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service to help people resolve financial disputes quickly and easily, whether they’re dealing with unpaid invoices, undelivered goods, or contract disputes.
Benefits
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. More than 58,600 claims have been made by legal professionals on behalf of a client through OCMC.
OCMC is designed with our users in mind:
we now engage with users by email, so they don’t need to wait for updates by post, and updates to the case are made in real time
the OCMC dashboard is available at any time day or night, reducing the need to chase up case updates within office hours
users can manage their case digitally by following easy to understand prompts
we see more users engaging with the system – more defendants are responding to claims and most importantly, more parties 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 faster
the financial and environmental cost to the taxpayer associated with the use and transportation of paper forms has been reduced
Our digital transformation
Starting in 2018, we’ve completely redesigned how money claims work:
created a fully digital journey from start to finish
replaced legal jargon with clear, simple language
built an intuitive dashboard for unrepresented users that shows real-time case updates
engaged with users via email rather than just postal address, providing timely, regular and clear updates
introduced the online case management system MyHMCTS for legal professionals to manage a variety of legal matters, including online civil money claims
added Welsh language options for defendants
expanded the service to handle larger value claims
empowered legal advisors to give digital directions for smaller claims
established ‘early adopter’ courts to test improvements and build confidence before rolling out nationally
The increase in speed to progress cases brought using the digital service has been significant:
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 – that’s more than three times quicker
more users are responding to claims than ever before and more cases are being settled
Getting support
We understand that digital services aren’t suitable for everyone. That’s why we:
maintain paper options for those who need them
partner with We Are Digital to provide in-person support
have a dedicated team at our Service Centre in Stoke to handle all online civil money claims enquiries
use feedback data to identify and remove barriers for users with disabilities
provide extra support for those struggling with the digital process
Feedback and insights
Users are consistently positive about the service’s accessibility and efficiency:
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.
OCMC through the eyes of a legal professional
“I 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.
“Thankfully, 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.
“The process took about ten weeks for the directions order to be issued-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.
“I’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 there’s no more waiting for physical files to arrive in the post.”
Working together
We worked closely with:
legal professionals working in the civil jurisdiction who fed back on the system design and usability
the judiciary as a vital partner at all levels
Future plans
We’re committed to continuing improvements by:
using collected data to identify and address user barriers
expanding digital features based on user feedback
streamlining processes further to reduce resolution times
ensuring the service remains accessible to all users
seeking further funding to develop new features that will support more complex cases
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For support with making a claim of £25,000 or less, visit m ake a court claim for money: Make a claim – GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/modern-justice-for-all-our-online-civil-money-claims-reformed-service-helps-more-people-settle-disputes-away-from-the-courtroom