The type of case that you are involved in will determine what kind of court will be used. The most common civil courts that are used for a court hearing are County Courts and Magistrates' Courts.
The County Court will usually deal with civil cases that include:
- Personal injury
- Breach of contract regarding goods or property
- Divorce and other family issues
- The repossession of houses
- Claims for debts
A court hearing to decide whether money is owed is usually handled by the County Courts. The County Court Judgement (CCJ) is a common way of using the local County Courts system to recover money that is owed.
The Magistrate' Court will hear most of the criminal cases in England and Wales. There are roughly 30,000 magistrates currently working in the courts. In addition to magistrates, 130 District Judges also work in the court system.
The Magistrates' Court carries out a number of duties that include:
- Hearing cases of people that have not paid their council tax bills
- Granting betting, gambling and alcohol licenses
- Hearing cases that deal with families and children
- General family law matters
- Robbery
- Rape
- Murder
The Youth Court will carry out court hearings in cases when the offenders are between the ages of 10 and 17. The Youth Court is actually a specialised form of Magistrates' Court.
If you would like to obtain legal advice about your court hearing Contact Law can put you in touch with a local specialist solicitor free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local solicitors please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.
- Last Updated on 02/03/2010
