How to Complete and File the N208 Claim Form (CPR Part 8)

The N208 claim form is what you file in the civil courts of England and Wales to start a case under the CPR Part 8 alternative procedure. You use it when you want the court to decide a legal question or grant a remedy and the underlying facts are not seriously in dispute. To complete it, you fill in the court name and the parties, set out the question or remedy you are asking the court to decide, sign the statement of truth, and file the form together with your written evidence and the issue fee. The form and its accompanying notes (N208A for claimants, N208C for defendants) can be downloaded from GOV.UK at no cost.¹ Issue fees start at £377 in the County Court and £646 in the High Court for claims that do not seek a specific sum of money.²

Is N208 the Right Form for Your Case

N208 is only for claims that qualify for the Part 8 procedure. CPR Rule 8.1(2) allows Part 8 where you want the court’s decision on a question “unlikely to involve a substantial dispute of fact,” or where a rule or practice direction requires it.³ In practice that means both sides broadly agree on what happened but disagree on what the law says about it. Two parties reading the same contract clause differently is the classic example.

If your case turns on whose version of events is correct, use the Part 7 procedure and Form N1 instead. Part 8 is not designed for disclosure, witness cross-examination, or a full trial. File an N208 in a case that actually involves a substantial factual dispute and the court can order the claim to continue as though you had started it under Part 7, with directions to match.³ That switch adds time and can shift costs against you.

Some statutes and practice directions require Part 8 specifically. Common examples include contract or deed interpretation claims, applications for court directions on trusts and estates, business tenancy renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and certain Companies Act 2006 applications. Possession claims by landlords, mortgagees, and licensors use the Part 55 procedure, which itself incorporates Part 8 rules.⁴ Practice Direction 8A holds a table of claims that must or may use the procedure; check it, or the statute you are relying on, if you are unsure.

What To Have Ready Before You Fill It In

Part 8 is front-loaded. You must file all your written evidence at the same time as the claim form, so gather everything before you touch N208.³ Arriving at the counter with a completed form and no witness statement means you cannot file.

The legal name and current address for every claimant and defendant. Use the registered office for companies.
The correct court. In the County Court, you can generally issue at any hearing centre. Certain specialist claims, such as those under the Companies Act, must go to the High Court or a specific division; check the statute or practice direction governing your claim.³
A witness statement. This is a written, first-person account with numbered paragraphs, setting out the facts the court needs. Attach documents (contracts, letters, title deeds) as labelled exhibits and refer to each one in the body of the statement.
The issue fee. For a claim that does not seek a specific sum of money, the fee is £377 in the County Court or £646 in the High Court. Where the claim does seek money, the fee scales with the amount claimed. The current figures were set by the 2025 amendment to the Civil Proceedings Fees Order.²⁵

If your income is low, you may qualify for full or partial remission of the fee. You apply online or on Form EX160 and submit it alongside the N208. The court will not issue the claim until the fee application is decided, so build in a short delay.⁶

Filling In the Form

N208 itself is short. Most of the work goes into the witness statement you attach to it.

Court and Parties

At the top of the form, enter the name of the court where you are issuing. Leave the claim number blank; the court adds it. Below the heading, put the full name of each claimant and each defendant. If a solicitor is acting for you, include the firm’s name, address, and reference.

Details of Claim

This is the most important box. State clearly the legal question you want the court to decide, or the remedy you are asking for. Be specific. “The claimant seeks a declaration that clause 7.2 of the lease dated 15 March 2019 requires the defendant to maintain the exterior walls” is much more useful than a vague request for a declaration about the parties’ rights. Name the statute or rule you are relying on if there is one. If the details run long, write “see attached” and continue on a separate sheet.

Statement of Truth

The form ends with a Statement of Truth. The prescribed wording confirms that you believe the facts stated in the claim form are true and that you understand contempt of court proceedings may be brought against anyone who makes a false statement in a verified document without an honest belief in its truth.⁷ You or your solicitor must sign and date it. Contempt is a serious matter: a superior court can commit a person to prison for up to two years.⁸

Filing the Form

Submit the original N208, your witness statement and exhibits, and enough copies for each defendant. You can file in person at the court office during business hours or by post.

Legal representatives must use the HMCTS CE-File system in certain courts, including the Chancery Division, the Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court, the King’s Bench Division Central Office, the Senior Courts Costs Office, and the Business and Property Courts district registries in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle.⁹ Litigants in person may use CE-File in those courts but are not required to. In the Administrative Court, CE-File is optional for everyone.

Once the court processes your filing and takes the fee, it seals the claim form, assigns a claim number, and returns the copies to you. Those sealed copies are what you serve.

Serving the Defendant

You are responsible for getting the sealed claim form and your written evidence to every defendant. Service must be completed within four months of the date the claim was issued.¹⁰ Permitted methods include first-class post, personal delivery, leaving the documents at the defendant’s usual or last-known address, and the other methods set out in CPR Part 6.

After service, file a certificate of service on Form N215 to prove the defendant received the documents. Miss the four-month deadline without an extension and the claim form expires; you would then need the court’s permission to serve late or would have to issue a fresh claim.

What Happens After Service

The defendant has 14 days from the date of service to file an acknowledgment of service. The acknowledgment tells the court whether the defendant intends to contest the claim and on what grounds. A defendant who wants to rely on written evidence must file it at the same time as the acknowledgment.³

The parties can agree in writing to extend the defendant’s evidence deadline by up to 14 days, and that agreement must be filed with the court alongside the acknowledgment. For a longer extension, either side must apply to the court. A defendant who does not file an acknowledgment may still attend the hearing but cannot take part in it without the court’s permission.³ Silence rarely helps: the court can still decide the legal question and grant the remedy you asked for.

Once the acknowledgment and any written evidence are in, the court gives directions for the future management of the case, usually including a hearing date. Many Part 8 claims are decided at a single hearing on the written evidence already filed. The court can, however, permit or require oral evidence and direct that a witness attend for cross-examination if the written material leaves something unresolved.³ Hearings tend to be shorter and more focused than a Part 7 trial. Bring a skeleton argument or written submissions if the court or a practice direction asks for one; in straightforward cases, oral argument on the day may be enough.

1
GOV.UK. Form N208 Claim Form (CPR Part 8)
2
GOV.UK. Civil Court Fees (EX50)
3
Justice UK. Part 8 – Alternative Procedure for Claims
4
Justice UK. Part 55 – Possession Claims
5
Legislation.gov.uk. The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025
6
GOV.UK. Get Help Paying Court and Tribunal Fees
7
Justice UK. Part 81 – Applications and Proceedings in Relation to Contempt of Court
8
Legislation.gov.uk. Contempt of Court Act 1981
9
Justice UK. Practice Direction 5C – CE-File Electronic Filing and Case Management System
10
Justice UK. Part 7 – How To Start Proceedings – The Claim Form