AnswersCourt, and what comes after
What is small claims mediation, and do I have to try it?
The short answer
Usually, yes. If your claim is for £10,000 or less and the other side disputes it1, you'll be told you must attend a free phone call of up to an hour, and need not agree to anything. Skipping it, or making no effort to reach a deal, can lead a judge to strike out your claim or make you pay all court costs, even if you win1. The rule is a pilot that runs to 6 April 20272.
England and Wales only. WolfX is software, not a law firm.
What you can add
A £4,800 claim, and a £4,000 offer on the call
Say your invoice to another business was for £4,800 and fell due on 31 July 2026. You started a claim on 5 October 2026, 66 days late, and the company defended it. Interest is 8% over the Bank Rate10, which makes 11.75%11 for invoices that go late between 1 July and 31 December 2026. The sum assumes the judge orders the company to pay your court fees4 too. Before the call, add up what a full win at a hearing would bring, with interest counted to the day you started the claim.
- The invoice£4,800.00
- Interest: £4,800 × 11.75% ÷ 365 × 66 days8£101.98
- Fixed sum (invoices from £1,000 to £9,999.99)9£70.00
- Court fee to start the claim (claims of £3,000.01 to £5,000)7£205.00
- Hearing fee (small claims over £3,000)7£346.00
- A full win adds up to£5,522.98
On the call the company offers £4,000.00. That is £1,522.98 short of a full win, but you'd still have the £346.00 hearing fee to pay to get there, so the real gap is £1,176.98. A hearing means a median 41.0 weeks6 from claim to trial, with a judge free to find against you. Interest keeps growing at £1.55 a day after that date, which this sum leaves out.
The road ahead
Six steps. All free.
Step 2: Put the date in your diary
The court gives you a date and time for a phone appointment1. You can bring someone, such as a friend or a solicitor. If a health condition, disability or safety worry means you need support, contact the mediation service before the date.
Have your invoice and the company's defence to hand.
Step 3: Decide your lowest figure first
Add up a full win from the sum below, and the wait: the median from claim to trial in small claims was 41.0 weeks6 in April to June 2026. Then write down the lowest sum you'd take now, and why.
Decide whether you'd take instalments, and on which dates. Mediators can't tell you what to settle for5, so the number has to be yours before the call.
Step 4: Take the call
The mediator phones each side separately1 for up to an hour and starts without the details of your claim5, so say what it is for in a sentence, then give your figure and your reason.
It's a negotiation, not a hearing, so don't argue the law. You need not agree, but the judge can sanction you if you make no effort to reach an agreement1. Nothing said on the call can be mentioned in court1.
Step 5: Agree it, or go to a hearing
Step 6: Missed it? Tell the court why
The letter
The court books the call and writes up any deal, so there is nothing for you to send. Nothing said on the call can be mentioned in court.
When not to bother
When it isn't worth it
- They have admitted the debt in writing and only the date is argued. Still attend, but don't trade the amount down. Ask for dated instalments, and read what happens after a defence for taking judgment on what they admit.
- The dispute is a point of law worth a judge's ruling. Still attend, because skipping risks a sanction, but there is no obligation to settle5.
- The company has no money. A deal is a promise of money it may not have, so read is it worth suing a company that has no money before you cut your claim.
- Your claim is over £10,000. Then you're not told you must attend. The court may offer it and both sides must agree1, or you can pay an independent mediator a fixed fee.
- The claim is in Scotland or Northern Ireland. This is the scheme in the County Court of England and Wales; those courts have their own routes.
The Wolf's note
An hour on the phone costs nothing, and skipping it is the one move here that can cost you the claim. Go in with one number you would take and one date you need it paid by. The mediator can't choose for you, so the choosing happens before the call.
Mr. Wolf · the AI inside WolfX
What comes next
Your next move
The company filed a defence. What happens next?
Usually mediation, then a hearing if there is no deal.
6 min read · Letter included
What happens at a small claims hearing, and how do I prepare?
Informal, often in the judge's room.
6 min read · Letter included
How do I take a company to court for an unpaid invoice?
Send a letter before action, then claim online.
7 min read · Letter included
Don't want to do this yourself?
The Wolf does every step for you. He works out the sums, writes the letters and keeps track of every date. Nothing goes without your yes.