Be on time!

There is no excuse under English law particularly when it comes to complying with deadlines.

It is extremely important to comply with time limits which are usually strictly enforced by the Court/Tribunal.

If the time limit is not complied with then you might find yourself being unable for example to take any further part in the case. Even if you subsequently are able to rectify being out of time this can be both time consuming and costly.

A number of things to bear in mind generally speaking look at the period within which a response is required; is the time being calculated on the number of days or on the basis of the number of working days there is of course a difference between the two.

Response times can vary depending on what type of case and Court you are in.

Further important point is where are you supposed to respond to. We have dealt with a number of cases over the years where responses have been sent to the wrong address which has then resulted in the case being out of time are too many to mention.

The most important advice I can give you is not to ignore Court papers. They will not go away and if you fail to deal with the matter it will come back to haunt you.

Always read the small print. In most cases it tells you exactly what to do, when to do it and where to do it. Ignorance and failure to be able to read is no excuse under English Law.

It is always better to respond sooner rather than later, people have a tendency to leave things to the last minute.

Courts have very little sympathy for someone who leaves it to the last day. You are then at the mercy of the Court.

If you take nothing else away from this article at the very least open the envelope and seek advice before it is too late.

For further information or a friendly chat concerning all legal matters you can call myself or Ibrar Hussain on 01254 672222, or simply pop into our offices at 25/29 Victoria Street, Blackburn to arrange an appointment.