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Responding to the claim

Deadlines for the defendant

The deadlines a defendant has to meet when responding to a claim, from acknowledgment of service and the defence to counterclaims, offers and appeals. The defence window can be extended by agreement where an acknowledgment is filed.

Deadlines the defendant watches

  • Acknowledgment of service (CPR 10)
  • Filing the defence (CPR 15)
  • Extending the defence by agreement to 28 days
  • Counterclaim and additional claims (CPR 20)
  • Part 36 offers and acceptance
  • Default judgment exposure where no response is filed

The exact dates depend on the matter and the trigger. Open a calculator below and every date shows the rule it comes from.

Calculators for the defendant

CPR CivilCalculate Civil Procedure Rules deadlines: acknowledgment of service, defence, Part 36, directions and appeals, with deemed service, clear days and bank holidays applied.InsolvencyCalculate insolvency deadlines: statutory demand compliance, winding-up petition evidence, administration steps and challenge windows under the Insolvency Act 1986.Employment TribunalCalculate Employment Tribunal time limits: ET1 presentation, ET3 response and EAT appeals, with ACAS Early Conciliation extensions applied under s.207B ERA 1996.