Principal scope: England and Wales
Scotland and Northern Ireland use different procedures

Civil enforcement information

Court Remedies: Stay, Suspension, Set Aside and Goods Claims

Identify the underlying judgment or order, enforcement instrument, court, procedural stage and the exact order needed.

Remedy comparison

RemedyTypical purposeImportant qualification
Set aside judgmentChallenge a judgment, often a default judgment, where the applicable legal test is met.Promptness, service, explanation and merits may matter.
Vary payment termsChange the amount or timing of payments under a judgment or order.The court decides; an offer is not automatically binding.
Suspend a County Court warrantPause a County Court warrant, commonly alongside a payment proposal.N245 may be appropriate for specified money judgments.
Stay executionSeek an order stopping or limiting execution of a writ or warrant.Filing an N244 does not itself guarantee a stay.
CPR Part 85 claimDetermine third-party ownership or exempt-goods issues.Notice, evidence, deadlines and costs require care.
Scheme-specific declaration or witness statementRestore or challenge a statutory enforcement process such as traffic debt.The correct form and grounds depend on the scheme and stage.

Evidence for an application

  1. The judgment, order, warrant or writ.
  2. A clear chronology.
  3. Evidence of service or non-receipt.
  4. The proposed defence or grounds.
  5. Income, expenditure and payment evidence where relevant.
  6. Ownership or exemption records.
  7. Draft order and explanation of urgency where appropriate.

Sources

  1. HMCTS Form N244
  2. HMCTS Form N245
  3. Civil Procedure Rules Part 83
  4. Civil Procedure Rules Part 85

Review status

Legal content reviewed against the sources identified on this page on 27 July 2026. The next review is due on 27 July 2028.