Do I need to attend the court hearing?

You can ask for your case to be heard in your absence. If you want to do that, you need to submit a request to the court in writing, stating your claim number, the date of your hearing and the reason why you do not want to attend.

It is not always possible for a claimant or defendant to attend court, for example if they have caring responsibilities or cannot get time off work. However, if your reason for non-attendance is not due to personal or family issues, and the judge gets the impression you are attempting to avoid attending court in person, this may affect the outcome of your case.