How long will the small claims process take?

It is difficult to say exactly. If a claim is undefended and the claimant follows the protocol, it could take as little as six weeks. However, if a claim is disputed (meaning the person who is accused of owing the money chooses to defend themselves), you should expect the time it takes from a filing a claim to going to court to be a matter of months. Usually claims will not take more than 6 months to be resolved.

However, some county courts will have a backlog of cases meaning your case might have to join a long queue. Depending on the complexity of your case it may also take longer to complete the steps required before you attend trial e.g., appointing an expert witness.