- Types of Debt
County Court Judgment
Received a County Court Judgment? Understand what it means, how it affects you, and the options available to deal with it.
What is a CCJ?
A County Court Judgment is issued by a court when a creditor takes legal action against you for an unpaid debt and the court rules in their favour. It’s a formal record confirming that you owe the money and are required to pay it.
How does it build up?
A CCJ is usually the result of an earlier, unresolved debt the creditor applies to the court, and if you don’t respond or successfully dispute the claim, the court issues a judgment against you, setting out how and when you need to pay.
Priority or non-priority?
A CCJ itself isn’t a type of debt in the way a credit card or utility bill is — it’s a legal judgment confirming an existing debt is owed. Once issued, though, it should be treated with real urgency, since further non-payment can lead to more serious enforcement action.
What happens if you don't pay?
It's recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and stays on your credit file for six years, even if you later pay it off.
The creditor can apply for further enforcement action, including sending bailiffs, an attachment of earnings order (deducting money directly from your wages), or a charging order against your property.
It can significantly affect your ability to get credit, a mortgage, or even some tenancy agreements, for as long as it remains on your file.
Can you remove a CCJ?
If you pay the CCJ in full within one month of the judgment, you can apply to have it removed entirely from the register. Paying later than one month means it stays on record for six years but is marked as “satisfied” once settled — which still looks considerably better to lenders than an unpaid judgment.
- Check Your Options
How Debt Bridge can help
If you have a CCJ, it’s worth getting advice quickly to understand your options — whether that’s negotiating a manageable repayment directly, or including the underlying debt within a wider solution such as a Debt Management Plan or IVA, depending on your full financial circumstances.