What Is a Multi-Track Claim?

When court proceedings are issued, the court needs to consider what steps are likely to be needed before the trial. This ensures the trial is effective. To assist with this, the court has four ‘tracks’ for claims and disputes of differing value and complexity. Factors such as the number of witnesses and whether expert evidence is needed are also relevant.

As part of this review process the claimant and defendant must complete and file a directions questionnaire. The answers to the directions questionnaire help determine which of the different tracks will apply: small claims, fast track, intermediate track or multi-track.

A multi-track claim will be worth more than £100,000 and is usually complex legally, factually, and/or will have a high value. These cases can be heard in the County Court or the High Court. Much of our work and litigation is in the High Court, but not exclusively.

The amount of time it will take for a case to come to trial will vary, and can change depending on how busy the court is. Claims are heard in either the County Court or the High Court. We usually experience high court claims are dealt with within a year. County Court cases can take longer.