Form N208 Acknowledgment of Service UK: Guide 2025

What this document is

The acknowledgment of service is the court form a defendant files to confirm they have received a Part 8 claim and to set out how they intend to respond. Part 8 is the alternative procedure used when a claim is unlikely to involve a substantial factual dispute, for example certain company law applications, some trust matters, and director disqualification proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

The form is used to say whether you contest the claim, whether you dispute the court's jurisdiction, and whether you object to Part 8 being used at all. You can also indicate that you intend to rely on written evidence. Once filed with the court and copied to the claimant, the acknowledgment keeps you in the proceedings and preserves your right to attend and be heard at the first hearing.

Failing to return it does not automatically end the case, but it does restrict what you can do next without the court's permission.

How to use this document

1. Read the claim form carefully. Before filling in anything, work through the Part 8 claim form you have been served with. Note the claimant's name, the court, the claim number, and what remedy or declaration is being sought. Check any attached written evidence or exhibits, because the acknowledgment of service is your formal response to what is set out there. 2. Work out your deadline. You generally have 14 days from service of the claim form to file the acknowledgment. The date service is treated as taking place depends on the method used, whether by post, personal delivery, or leaving the document at an address. Diary the deadline straight away and give yourself a buffer, because late filing can affect your ability to participate without asking the court's permission. 3. Complete each section accurately. Work through the form in order, filling in the case details, your response to the claim, and whether you intend to rely on written evidence. If you are objecting to the use of the Part 8 procedure, say so clearly and give your reasons in the space provided. Every statement you make on the form must be truthful, because it is signed under a statement of truth. 4. Prepare any written evidence. If you want the court to consider your own evidence, it usually needs to be filed and served within 14 days of filing the acknowledgment, in the form required by the Civil Procedure Rules. This may be a witness statement verified by a statement of truth, or in some specialist proceedings an affidavit. Attach any documents you rely on as exhibits. 5. File and serve on time. Send the completed acknowledgment to the court office handling the claim and serve a copy on the claimant (or their solicitor) so everyone has the same paperwork. Keep proof of filing and service. Once the court has the form, a first hearing or directions will usually follow, and you should receive notice of the date in due course.