Civil Courts case data

For the year up to March 2026, the civil courts have dealt with the following cases:

This graph is based on the following data, where we can see the main difference is between the number of Civil Claims issued each month and then actual number of civil defences. The data demonstrates that on average only 7% of claims result in a defence being filed.

The data also demonstrating the use of mediation for civil claims. On average 30.5% of small claims that referred to mediation were settled at mediation. It is important to note that approximately 8,400 of the total claims 165,949 were referred to mediation (0.05%).

The introduction of mandatory mediation for small civil claims has been a significant change in the civil legal process. Since July 2025, most small claims disputes valued at less than £10,000 in England and Wales are automatically referred to mediation through the Small Claims Mediation Service (SCMS). Therefore before a case proceeds to a hearing, the Claimant and Defendant (s) are offered a free, one-hour mediation session conducted by a Court Service mediator over the telephone.

For the mediation to go ahead, both sides need to agree to the mediation session. At the telephone appointment, the mediator speaks to each side in the case separately by phone to help explore options, negotiate and agree a settlement. A party in the claim can bring someone with them to the mediation session, such as a friend, relative or a solicitor.