Zabulis Legal

Debt recovery · England & Wales

Enforcing a County Court Judgment: the five methods

Winning is not being paid. A judgment gives you the right to enforce — this is how each method works, which debtor each one suits, and when to stop spending money chasing it.

Vincentas ZabulisSolicitor, England & Wales · Advocate, Lithuanian BarSRA No. 621485 · LL.M (UCL)Reviewed 18 August 2026

Find out what they have first

Choosing an enforcement method before you know the debtor's position is the most common and most expensive mistake. Sending bailiffs to someone who rents a furnished flat and has no car produces a fee and nothing else.

An order to obtain information compels the debtor to attend court and answer questions about their income, employment, bank accounts and property, under oath. It is not itself an enforcement method. It is what tells you which method will work. Failure to attend can be treated as contempt.

The five methods, and who each one suits

You can use more than one, and you can change approach if the first does not work. What you cannot do is recover the same debt twice.

  1. 01Debtor has goods

    Warrant of control — bailiffs

    County court enforcement agents attend and may take control of goods to sell. Works where the debtor has vehicles, stock or equipment. Useless where they own nothing worth selling, and household essentials are protected.

  2. 02Debtor owns property

    Charging order — secure it against property

    Places a charge over the debtor's interest in land. It rarely produces immediate cash, but the debt is secured and is paid on sale or remortgage. For a homeowner who will not pay, this is usually the strongest move.

  3. 03Debtor is employed

    Attachment of earnings — deductions from wages

    The court orders the employer to deduct an amount from the debtor's pay and send it to you. Steady rather than fast, and it depends entirely on the debtor staying employed. Not available against the self-employed.

  4. 04You know where they bank

    Third party debt order — freeze an account

    Freezes money held by a third party, usually a bank, and directs it to you. Powerful, but it captures only what is in the account at the moment it bites, so it needs both timing and the account details.

  5. 05Leverage, not recovery

    Insolvency — bankruptcy or winding up

    The heaviest option. Effective as leverage against someone who can pay and will not; self-defeating against someone genuinely insolvent, where you join the unsecured queue.

Choosing between them

Worth enforcing

  • Debtor owns their home
  • Debtor is in stable employment
  • You have bank details and know money moves through the account
  • Business with visible stock, vehicles or equipment
  • Debtor is avoiding payment rather than unable to pay

Think hard before spending more

  • No property, no employment, no assets
  • Already subject to other creditors' enforcement
  • Company dormant or already insolvent
  • Debtor has left the jurisdiction
  • The costs of enforcing approach the debt itself

What each step costs

Order to obtain information
£225

Fixed, plus court fee

Warrant of control to bailiffs
£80

Fixed, plus court fee

Attachment of earnings, without representation
£100

Fixed

Third party debt order
£225

Fixed, plus court fee

Obtaining and registering a charging order
£295

Fixed, plus disbursements

Removing a charging order
£195

Fixed

All figures include VAT. Court fees and disbursements are additional. Enforcement costs are generally added to the judgment debt and recoverable from the debtor — if there is anything to recover from.

Common questions

How long is a county court judgment enforceable?

Six years from the date of judgment, after which permission from the court is needed to enforce. That means an unenforceable debtor today may be worth revisiting if their circumstances change. A judgment does not have to be acted on immediately.

What is the best way to enforce a judgment?

It depends entirely on what the debtor has. A charging order for a homeowner, attachment of earnings for someone employed, a third party debt order where you know the bank, bailiffs where there are goods worth selling. Find out first with an order to obtain information rather than guessing.

Can I use more than one enforcement method?

Yes. You can pursue several, and switch if one fails. You cannot recover the same debt twice, and the court will expect the overall approach to be proportionate to the sum owed.

Does a charging order force a sale?

Not by itself. It secures the debt against the property, so it is paid on sale or remortgage. A separate application for an order for sale is possible but is a significant further step and is not granted lightly, particularly where a family home is involved.

Can I enforce against someone who has moved abroad?

Sometimes, but it becomes a question of recognising and enforcing the judgment in that country, which is a separate process with its own cost. For debtors in Lithuania and the wider EU this is something I deal with directly, in both jurisdictions.

Are enforcement costs recoverable from the debtor?

Generally yes — court fees and fixed costs are usually added to the judgment debt. That only helps if there is something to recover from, which is why assessing the debtor's position first matters more than the recoverability rule.

This page states the law of England & Wales as at 18 August 2026. It is general information, not advice on your matter, and reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.