What to do if…
you receive an official letter saying you missed a court date you did not know about

What to do now

1. Check what the letter says without acting on its links.
   Look for your name, the court or issuing body, a case or claim number, the date you supposedly missed, and whether the letter mentions a fine, conviction, judgment, warrant, enforcement, or a new hearing.

2. Find the real court contact details independently.
   For England and Wales, use the GOV.UK court finder. For Scotland, use the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. For Northern Ireland, use Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service information. If the letter does not clearly name a court, use the reference number, location, or issuing body to narrow it down.

3. Contact the court office and confirm the basics.
   Ask:

   • whether the case exists and is linked to you;
   • what type of case it is, such as magistrates, Crown Court, county court, sheriff court, justice of the peace court, tribunal, or fines enforcement;
   • what happened on the missed date or missed deadline;
   • whether any warrant, fine, judgment, enforcement action, or new hearing date is active;
   • what the court needs from you next.

4. If it is an England and Wales magistrates’ court case you did not know about, ask about reopening and a statutory declaration.
   Say clearly: “I did not know about the case until I received this letter.” Ask whether you need to apply online, make a statutory declaration, attend a hearing, or use another route because you knew about the case but not the hearing. If the court mentions a deadline, ask them to confirm the deadline and where to send or file anything.

5. If it is about a Single Justice Procedure notice you never saw, say that directly.
   Tell the court you did not receive the Single Justice Procedure notice or did not know about the case. Ask how to have the case reopened and whether they are treating the 21 days from when you found out as relevant to your case.

6. If it is an England and Wales county court judgment or default judgment you did not know about, ask about setting it aside.
   Tell the court you did not receive the original claim or judgment papers. Ask whether you need form N244, what evidence they want, where to send it, what the current fee is, and whether you can apply for help with court and tribunal fees. Useful evidence may include move dates, tenancy documents, council tax records, mail redirection records, or proof that papers went to an old address.

7. Update your contact details on the case file.
   Give your current address, email, and phone number. Ask the court to confirm that the record has been updated so any new notice, hearing date, or order reaches you.

8. If the court says there is a warrant or arrest risk, do not improvise.
   Ask the court what the safe process is for resolving it. If you can, contact a criminal defence solicitor before attending court or speaking to police, and tell them exactly what the court said.

9. Keep a clear record from today.
   Keep the envelope and letter, take photos or scans, and write down the date you received it. For every call or email, note the date, time, name or team, number or email used, and what you were told.

10. If you are in Scotland or Northern Ireland, do not assume the England and Wales process applies.
    Still verify the letter, contact the court, update your details, and keep records. Then ask that court what the local process is when someone did not know about proceedings or did not receive papers.