Pay money into the Court Funds Office

You must pay into the Court Funds Office if:

  • you’ve been ordered to make a payment to settle a court case
  • you offered to settle in full before the case started - but it was not accepted and you want to use a ‘defence of tender before claim’
  • you have to refund an overpayment

Check the court ordered you to pay into the Court Funds Office. Sometimes they’ll order you to pay the claimant directly.

There’s a different process if you’re managing money as someone’s deputy or managing money as a child’s litigation friend.

Making a payment

Send the Court Funds Office:

  • your completed request for deposit form CFO 100
  • a copy of the court order (one with a seal on it)
  • a cheque dated in the last 6 months and made payable to the ‘Accountant General of the Senior Courts’

You must physically sign the deposit form - this is also known as a ‘wet signature’. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

If you’re paying in under ‘defence of tender’ you must include a copy of the defence and a sealed copy of the claim form.

Court Funds Office
Sunderland
SR43 3AB

You’ll get a receipt for your payment about 1 week after the Court Funds Office receives your cheque.

Payments for a ‘defence of tender before claim’

Inform the claimant that you’ve made a payment to the Court Funds Office by giving them a copy of your completed request for deposit form (CFO 100) (sometimes called ‘serving the form’).

Send the court a certificate of service confirming that you gave the form to the claimant

Your money will be held in a Court Funds Office basic account until the case is settled and the claimant or the court makes a request to pay it out.

Basic accounts currently pay 3.56% interest. The rate is not fixed - it is set by the Lord Chancellor. You’ll be told if the rate changes.

Payments in foreign currency

You can pay into the Court Funds Office from a foreign currency account if you’ve got permission from the court. Ask the judge at your hearing or contact the relevant court to ask how to apply for permission.

Send the Court Funds Office:

The Court Funds Office will confirm their bank details for you to pay by either:

  • electronic transfer from your bank - 4 to 5 days to clear
  • banker’s draft - 6 to 8 weeks to clear

Tell the Court Funds Office when you’ve requested the transfer. Make sure you include money for bank charges when you pay.

You’ll get a temporary receipt when the money arrives and a final receipt when it clears into the Court Funds Office account.

Interest on foreign currency accounts

You’ll get details of interest-paying accounts you can use from the Court Funds Office. Tell the court which one you want to use and they’ll arrange for the money to be held in that type of account.

The Court Funds Office uses Royal Bank of Scotland interest rates for foreign currency accounts.

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