Form N24: File a Draft Order or Judgment in the County Court

At a glance

• What it is: Form N24, the General Form of Judgment or Order, published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service and used to record — or propose — a judgment or order in County Court and High Court civil proceedings.
• Governing rules: CPR Part 40 sets the framework for how judgments and orders are drawn up, sealed, served and take effect; Practice Direction 40B supplements it, including the mechanics for consent orders.
• Consent orders — fast route: under CPR 40.6(2) a court officer can enter and seal an agreed order without a judge, but only for the order types listed in CPR 40.6(3) and only where no party is a litigant in person.
• Consent orders — judge's route: where CPR 40.6(2) doesn't apply, Practice Direction 40B paragraph 3.3 says an application notice (Form N244) should be filed with the draft so a judge can consider it.
• Court fee: recording an order already made doesn't itself carry a fee; an accompanying application typically does — check the current civil court fees (EX50) guide on GOV.UK, or ask the court office, before filing.
• Compliance deadline: under CPR 40.11 a party must comply with a money judgment or order within 14 days, unless the order says otherwise.
• Fixing a genuine mistake: CPR 40.12 (the "slip rule") lets the court correct an accidental slip or omission at any time — this is not the route for disputing the substance of what was decided.

What Form N24 is for

Form N24 — the General Form of Judgment or Order — is the standard HM Courts & Tribunals Service form used across County Court and High Court civil proceedings to record a judgment or order. In practice it is also the document parties use to put a proposed form of wording in front of the court: after a hearing where the judge has asked for a draft to be lodged, after the parties reach a settlement they want the court to formalise, or as part of an application that needs a specific form of order.

The form itself is short. The published version asks for the name of the court, the claim number, the names of the claimant and defendant (with references), and carries a note that where a judgment is for £5,000 or more, or relates to a debt attracting contractual or statutory interest, the claimant may be entitled to further interest. The substantive content — the actual terms the judge is being asked to approve, or has already ordered — is set out in the body of the document, drafted to reflect what has genuinely been decided or agreed.

Form N24 sits within Part 40 of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), the rules that govern how civil judgments and orders are handled generally. CPR 40.2 sets the standard requirements for any judgment or order — it must state the name and judicial title of the person who made it (with limited exceptions, such as default judgments entered by a court officer), bear the date it was given or made, and be sealed by the court.

Two different routes: who draws up the order, and who seals it

CPR 40.3 sets out that, generally, the court itself will draw up a judgment or order — unless the court directs a party to do so, a party is given permission to draw it up, the court dispenses with the need to draw it up, or the order is a consent order under CPR 40.6. Where a party is responsible for drawing it up, they must file it for sealing within 7 days of being ordered or permitted to do so (CPR 40.3(3)(a) and PD 40B paragraph 1.2); if they miss that deadline, any other party may draw it up and file it instead.

Consent orders: CPR 40.6 and the two paths

Where all parties agree the terms of a judgment or order, CPR 40.6 applies. There are two different paths depending on what the order does:

1. Administrative sealing by a court officer — under CPR 40.6(2), a court officer may enter and seal an agreed judgment or order without it going before a judge, but only where three conditions are all met: the order is one of the types listed in CPR 40.6(3) (which includes a judgment or order for payment of money, delivery up of goods, dismissal of proceedings, a stay of proceedings on agreed terms, a stay of enforcement, setting aside an unsatisfied default judgment, payment out of money in court, discharge from liability, or dealing with costs); none of the parties is a litigant in person; and the court's approval is not otherwise required by the rules, a practice direction, or any enactment.
2. Judge's consideration — where the order doesn't fit within CPR 40.6(2), Practice Direction 40B paragraph 3.3 says an application notice (Form N244) should be filed together with the draft judgment or order, and the draft should be drawn so the judge's name and judicial title can be inserted once it is approved.

Whichever path applies, PD 40B paragraph 3.4 (echoing CPR 40.6(7)) requires the order to be drawn up in the terms actually agreed, headed "By Consent", and signed by the solicitors or counsel acting for each party — or by the party themselves if they are a litigant in person. Practice Direction 40B paragraph 3.2 also makes clear that even where an order is filed for administrative sealing, a court officer can still refer it to a judge if it looks unclear or incorrect.

How to use this document

1. Confirm which route applies to your order. Check whether your proposed order falls within the categories in CPR 40.6(3) and whether every party has legal representation. If it does, and no court approval is otherwise required, it may be capable of administrative sealing. If not — or if you are unsure — plan to file it with an application notice (Form N244) so a judge can consider it.
2. Gather the case details accurately. You will need the full claim number, the name of the court dealing with the case, and the exact names of every party as they appear on the claim form and any earlier orders. Errors here are a common reason drafts get queried or delayed.
3. Draft the wording precisely. Set out each term of the order in clear, numbered paragraphs stating who must do what, by when, and on what conditions. If the order reflects a settlement, the wording needs to match what was actually agreed — not a summary or a paraphrase. Deal with costs expressly (Practice Direction 40B paragraph 11.2 notes that if an order makes no mention of costs, none are payable in respect of the proceedings it relates to).
4. Confirm agreement or notice to all parties. For a consent order, every party (or their legal representative) needs to sign or otherwise endorse the draft, and it must be headed "By Consent" per CPR 40.6(7). If the order is not agreed, the position needs to be clear from the papers filed so the judge understands the context.
5. File with the court and check the fee position. Submit the completed form to the County Court dealing with the claim, using the filing method that court accepts. If an accompanying application notice (Form N244) is required, a fee will usually apply — check the current civil court fees (EX50) guide on GOV.UK, or ask the court office, before you file, since these fees change from time to time.

What happens after the draft is filed

Where the order qualifies for administrative sealing under CPR 40.6(2), a court officer enters and seals it without a hearing. Otherwise, the draft goes before a judge, who may seal it as drawn, request amendments, or decline to make the order as proposed — the court is not bound to accept a draft simply because the parties agree on it, particularly if the wording is unclear or asks for something the court cannot properly order.

Once sealed, CPR 40.4 requires the court to serve a copy of the judgment or order on each party. Under CPR 40.7, the judgment or order takes effect from the day it is given or made, or from such later date as the court specifies. Where the order requires payment of money, CPR 40.11 sets a default compliance period of 14 days from the date of the judgment or order, unless the order itself specifies a different date (for example, payment by instalments), another rule sets a different period, or the court has stayed the proceedings or judgment.

If, after the order is sealed, you spot a genuine clerical error — a typo, a figure that doesn't match what was decided, an accidental omission — CPR 40.12 allows the court to correct an "accidental slip or omission" at any time, and Practice Direction 40B paragraph 4.2 confirms a party can apply for this informally, even by letter, and often without a hearing. This slip rule is narrow: it is for correcting the record to match what was actually decided, not for revisiting or disputing the substance of the decision itself. If you disagree with the terms of an order rather than a drafting error in recording them, the slip rule is not the right tool — you would usually need to consider an appeal or a separate application instead, and that is a good point to get advice.

This guide provides general information about Form N24 and the County Court process in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The rules described were accurate as at July 2026 and are subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the most current position, and confirm the correct process with the court office handling your case.

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