The government’s attempt to continue modernising the courts system has seen the introduction of a new “quick and easy” service that will be able to handle claims worth up to £10,000.

Before the new service went live earlier this month, claimants had to fill in and post a paper form, or file the claim using an old, outdated online system that had been around since 2002. This old system will be phased out, while the new system will enable people to submit their claim in the county court for claims worth up to £10,000, settle disputes online as well as recommend mediation services.

The new system was piloted last year and was tested by more than 1,400 people, including small businesses. According to the ministry, 8 in 10 people found the new system to be “very good and easy to use”.

£1bn allocated to modernise the courts system

Justice minister Lucy Frazer said that some people found using the civil courts a daunting prospect, but this new, innovative and easy-to-use online system will allow people and small businesses to claim back the money that is rightly owed to them. She explained that the government has allocated £1bn to transformation plans so that the courts system can be brought up to date, and she believes this modern online service is a fantastic example of how these plans are being brought to fruition.

Mr Justice Colin Birss, chair of the Civil Procedure Rule sub-committee said that delays and complexities with the old system had deterred people from using civil courts to make small claims for far too long. He believes that the new system will provide members of the public and small businesses with a user-friendly way to access justice.

New online system found to be intuitive and easy to understand

Laura Iron, head of service at the Personal Shopper Unit welcomed the introduction of the new initiative. She said that one of the problems with the old system was the formal legal language of traditional court processes, but the new system avoids most of that, making it more intuitive and far simpler to understand for users.

According to The Bar Council, the online civil money claims pilot is a modest first step to using modern technology to identify important issues at the first stage of claims and to encourage litigants to amicably resolve any claims that are below the £10,000 limit. However, they also claim that going forward the system must be evaluated carefully, and it’s important not to assume that lessons learned are necessarily applicable to more substantial or complex claims.

The ministry says that the new online system “begins to deliver the vision” which was first set out in 2016 by Lord Briggs, whereby the vision is for an online court that can handle claims worth up to £25,000.

If you believe you have a claim to make, we can help you claim compensation. We can also help with other legal matters such as employment law and conveyancing.

No matter what your legal need may be, our team of knowledgeable solicitors here at Fonseca Law is here to help. Contact us today on 01495 303124, email: enquiries@fonsecalaw.co.uk or pop into our office based in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.