N210A Acknowledgement of Service Part 8 Costs Only Claims

Defendants must react quickly to claims which are lodged against them if they are to comply with strict deadlines imposed by the court and avoid forfeiting the claim and entitling the Claimant to obtain judgment in default.

Time starts to run from the point the Particulars of Claim (or claim form if the particulars are included on this) is served on the Defendant, and the Defendant has 14 days to file a Defence with the Court explaining the grounds on which he disputes the claim. However, by filing an Acknowledgement of Service, the Defendant can increase the deadline for filing a defence from 14 to 28 days.

This form is specifically for acknowledging service in claims brought under Part 8 of the CPR which are “costs only”. (that is to say, where the claim has settled out of court, but there is a dispute over who should bear the costs to date, or what level of costs should be paid.)