Legal Procedures & Court Structures
The following is a guide to the legal procedures and the court structures involved in debt recovery.
Initial demand
An initial demand letter is sent before proceedings are issued.
This may result in the debt being paid or proposals from the debtor.
If the debt is not paid or acceptable proposals are not received, court proceedings can be issued.
Court proceedings
In court proceedings the creditor is known as the claimant or the plaintiff and the debtor is known as the respondent or the defendant depending on which court the claim is made in.
Proceedings for the recovery of a debt are commenced in one of three courts depending on the value of the debt.
Court | Limit |
---|---|
District Court | – debts up to €15,000 |
Circuit Court | – debts between €15,000 and €75,000 |
High Court | – debts over €75,000 – unlimited jurisdiction |