Form N211 UK: Part 20 Additional Claims Guide

At a glance

• What it is: Form N211 is the court claim form used to bring an "additional claim" under CPR Part 20 inside an existing County Court or High Court case.
• The three types of additional claim: a counterclaim against the claimant (CPR r.20.4), a claim for contribution or indemnity against a person already a party (CPR r.20.6), and any other additional claim - most often against a new third party (CPR r.20.7).
• Do you need Form N211 itself? Generally only for a claim against a new third party, and for a counterclaim against someone other than the claimant (CPR r.20.5). A straightforward counterclaim against the claimant, and a contribution/indemnity notice against an existing party, don't normally need a separate claim form.
• Permission: not needed if the claim is filed with, or issued before or at the same time as, your defence. Needed at any other time (CPR rr.20.4, 20.6, 20.7).
• Time to respond: a Part 20 defendant has 14 days from service to pay, admit or dispute the claim, extendable to 28 days by filing an acknowledgment of service (Form N213) within the first 14 days.
• Time to serve: where permission isn't needed, the claim form must be served on the person it's made against within 14 days of the court issuing it (CPR r.20.8).
• Fee: an additional claim is charged on the same value-based scale as a standalone money claim - check the current amount on GOV.UK (EX50) before filing.
• Effect of service: the person served becomes a party to the proceedings (CPR r.20.10), and the court manages the additional claim alongside the main claim (CPR r.20.13).

What Form N211 is for

Form N211 is the claim form HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) uses to start an "additional claim" under CPR Part 20 - a claim a defendant brings inside an existing case, rather than as a fresh action. CPR r.20.2(2)(a) defines an additional claim as "any claim other than the claim by the claimant against the defendant."

It shares the court file and claim number of the main proceedings, but it is treated as a claim in its own right for most purposes: it has its own particulars and its own response deadlines, and - because CPR r.20.3(1) applies the ordinary rules to additional claims except where Part 20 says otherwise - the general defence timetable in CPR Part 15 governs how a Part 20 defendant must respond.

Not every additional claim needs Form N211. Whether you use it depends on which of the three types of additional claim you are bringing. For a wider overview of the paperwork used to start and defend County Court claims, see our guide to County Court forms; if any of the terminology here is unfamiliar, our County Court terminology guide explains the common jargon.

The three types of Part 20 additional claim

1. Counterclaim against the claimant

A defendant can counterclaim against the claimant simply by filing particulars of the counterclaim - normally with the defence (CPR r.20.4(1)-(2)). No permission is needed if it's filed with the defence; filed later, it needs the court's permission. Because it is made by filing particulars rather than issuing a fresh claim form, a straightforward counterclaim against the claimant does not generally need Form N211. CPR r.20.4(3) also confirms that the claimant, in defending a counterclaim, does not use the ordinary acknowledgment-of-service procedure under Part 10 - they simply file a defence to it.

2. Claim for contribution or indemnity from an existing party

If you want a contribution or indemnity from someone who is already a party to the case - typically a co-defendant - CPR r.20.6 lets you file and serve a notice setting out the nature and grounds of the claim, and again no separate claim form is generally needed. No permission is required if the notice is filed and served with your defence, or within 28 days of that party filing their own defence; otherwise, permission is needed.

3. Claim against someone not yet a party

This is the situation Form N211 is built for. If you want to bring in someone who isn't currently part of the case - a subcontractor, an insurer, a co-driver, anyone you say bears some or all of the responsibility - CPR r.20.7 requires you to issue a claim form, and the additional claim is made when the court issues it. No permission is needed if you issue it before or at the same time as filing your defence to the main claim; issued later, you need the court's permission (CPR r.20.7(3)). A counterclaim against someone other than the claimant follows a related but separate route: you apply to the court for an order adding them as a party (CPR r.20.5).

Do you need the court's permission?

| Type of additional claim | Permission needed? | Rule | |---|---|---| | Counterclaim against the claimant, filed with your defence | No | CPR r.20.4(2)(a) | | Counterclaim against the claimant, filed later | Yes | CPR r.20.4(2)(b) | | Counterclaim against someone other than the claimant | Court order required to add them as a party | CPR r.20.5 | | Contribution/indemnity notice against an existing party, filed with your defence (or within 28 days of that party's own defence, if added later) | No | CPR r.20.6(2)(a) | | Contribution/indemnity notice against an existing party, filed at any other time | Yes | CPR r.20.6(2)(b) | | Any other additional claim (e.g. against a new third party), issued before or at the same time as your defence | No | CPR r.20.7(3)(a) | | Any other additional claim, issued later | Yes | CPR r.20.7(3)(b) |

Applications for permission can normally be made without notice to the other parties, unless the court directs otherwise (CPR rr.20.5(2), 20.7(5)).

How to complete Form N211

1. Match the heading to the main claim. Copy the court name and claim number from the main proceedings exactly. The Part 20 claim lives inside the same court file, so a mismatch here typically causes the form to be returned for correction.
2. Identify the Part 20 claimant and Part 20 defendant. Copy the claimant and defendant details from the main claim, then enter your own name in the "Part 20 claimant" box and the name of the person you are claiming against in the "Part 20 defendant" box (HMCTS guidance notes, Form N211A).
3. Set out capacity correctly. For an individual, give full names and a residential address in the UK or EEA. For a sole trader, add "trading as" and the business name. For a partner sued in the firm's name, add "a firm" after the name. For a company, give the registered office or a place of business with a real connection to the claim. For someone suing or being sued in a representative capacity, state that capacity - for example, "as the representative of [name], deceased." If a party is under 18, or is a patient within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983, a litigation friend must be named to act for them.
4. State a value. In the High Court, no statement of value is required. In the County Court, if you are claiming a fixed sum, write the amount against "amount claimed." If the amount isn't fixed, state which band applies: "not more than £10,000," "more than £10,000 but not more than £15,000," or "more than £15,000" - or, if you genuinely cannot value the claim, say so.
5. Draft the particulars of claim. Particulars must either be set out on the form itself or served with it (CPR r.20.7(4)). They need a concise statement of the facts you rely on, details of any interest claimed and, if relevant, a statement that you're seeking aggravated or exemplary damages, plus a statement of truth. Attach copies of the statements of case already filed in the main claim.
6. File, pay the fee, and serve. Lodge the form at the court dealing with the main claim, together with the issue fee (see below). Where permission isn't needed, serve the claim form on the Part 20 defendant within 14 days of it being issued (CPR r.20.8(1)(b)), along with the response pack and copies of the existing statements of case (CPR r.20.12).

Time limits: issuing, serving and responding

Three different clocks run on a Part 20 claim, and it's easy to conflate them:

• Issuing without permission - before or at the same time as filing your defence (CPR r.20.7(3)(a)).
• Serving the claim form - within 14 days of the court issuing it, where no permission was needed (CPR r.20.8(1)(b)).
• Responding to it - the Part 20 defendant has 14 days from service to pay, admit, or dispute the claim, or to file an acknowledgment of service (Form N213) if more time is needed, which extends the defence deadline to 28 days from service (HMCTS guidance notes, Form N211C; general timetable under CPR r.15.4). Doing nothing risks the court treating the claim as admitted and entering judgment.

If the Part 20 defendant is a genuinely new party - not previously involved in the case - they become a party to the proceedings once served (CPR r.20.10), and must be sent a full response pack: a defence form, an admission form, an acknowledgment-of-service form, and copies of every statement of case already served in the proceedings (CPR r.20.12). If you are the person who has just been served with a Part 20 claim, our companion guide on replying to a Part 20 claim form walks through the response forms step by step.

Court fees for a Part 20 claim

An additional claim attracts an issue fee, calculated the same way as for a standalone money claim - based on the value of what you are claiming. The banded fee scale is published by GOV.UK as civil court fees (EX50); check the current figures there before you file, as fees change periodically. If you're on a low income or receive certain benefits, you may be able to apply for fee remission through the Help with Fees service (Form EX160).

What happens after the Part 20 defendant is served

Once served, the Part 20 defendant is a party to the proceedings (CPR r.20.10) and must respond within the time limits above. If they file a defence, the court must consider the future conduct of the case and give directions, and - so far as practicable - manage the original claim and all additional claims together (CPR r.20.13).

If the Part 20 defendant does nothing, special default-judgment rules apply to additional claims other than a counterclaim or a contribution/indemnity notice (CPR r.20.11). Broadly: they are deemed to admit the claim and are bound by any relevant judgment in the main proceedings; and if default judgment has already been given against the additional claimant (the person who brought the Part 20 claim) on the main claim, the additional claimant may - subject to conditions - enter judgment on the additional claim by filing a request in the relevant form.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Issuing Form N211 for a claim that doesn't need it. A straightforward counterclaim against the claimant, or a contribution/indemnity notice against an existing co-defendant, is usually made without a separate claim form. Using N211 anyway doesn't break the process, but it can waste time and an unnecessary fee.
• Missing the permission requirement. Issuing after your defence is filed, or bringing in a new party without an order or the court's permission, risks the claim being struck out or delayed.
• Getting the heading wrong. A mismatched court name or claim number is a common reason a form is rejected at the counter.
• Leaving out the particulars of claim. Without a concise statement of the facts relied on, the Part 20 defendant cannot respond properly and the claim may stall.
• Forgetting a litigation friend. If the Part 20 claimant or defendant is under 18 or lacks capacity, a litigation friend must be named - this is easy to miss when adding a new party mid-case.
• Confusing the service deadline with the response deadline. The 14 days to serve the claim form runs from issue; the 14 days to respond runs from service on the Part 20 defendant. They are not the same clock.
• Assuming a claimant defending a counterclaim files an acknowledgment of service. They don't - CPR r.20.4(3) disapplies Part 10 for that situation, so the claimant simply files a defence to the counterclaim.

Worked example

Priya runs a small building firm and is sued by a client, Contractor Ltd, for £18,000 over an unfinished extension. Priya believes the real cause of the delay was defective materials supplied by a subcontractor, Anderson Builders Ltd, who isn't currently a party to the case.

Priya's defence does two things. First, it includes a counterclaim against Contractor Ltd for £4,000 in unpaid invoices for earlier work - filed with the defence, so no permission and no separate claim form are needed (CPR r.20.4). Second, because Priya wants to bring Anderson Builders Ltd into the case for an indemnity, and they are not already a party, Priya issues Form N211 against them at the same time as filing the defence - so again no permission is needed (CPR r.20.7(3)(a)). Once issued, Priya has 14 days to serve the N211 on Anderson Builders Ltd, who then has 14 days from service to respond.

If Priya had waited until after filing the defence to bring in Anderson Builders Ltd, the same claim would have needed the court's permission first.

This guide provides general information about Form N211 and CPR Part 20 additional claims in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The law described was accurate as at August 2026 and is subject to change - always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the current position, and speak to a regulated adviser about how it applies to your situation.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: August 2027 or on relevant procedural rule change.