Acknowledgement of Service

An acknowledgement of service is a formal document filed by a defendant to confirm receipt of the claim form and to indicate whether the defendant intends to defend the claim or contest jurisdiction. Under CPR Part 10, it must be filed within 14 days of service of the claim form. Filing an acknowledgement extends the time for filing a defence to 28 days.

In practice

Failing to file an acknowledgement of service (and a defence) within the prescribed period entitles the claimant to enter default judgement. The acknowledgement form requires the defendant to state whether the claim is admitted, whether the defendant intends to defend all or part of the claim, and whether jurisdiction is contested. It does not require a substantive response to the claim.