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