Quick answer
How do you deal with Court Enforcement Services?
Identify the writ and act before an enforcement attendance. Check the claimant, judgment, court, writ, address, balance and compliance deadline. Contact CES using verified details, report vulnerability and make a sustainable proposal where the judgment is correct.
Pay or agree terms
An accepted arrangement during compliance may avoid the first High Court enforcement-stage fee.
Use the court process
A set aside, variation, appeal or stay may be required; a complaint to CES cannot cancel a writ.
Check formal protection
Breathing Space or an approved debt solution may pause qualifying civil judgment enforcement.
Separate legal guide
Received a writ of control?
This page focuses on Court Enforcement Services as a company, including its contact routes, payment arrangements, complaints and enforcement services. For the legal meaning of the writ, transfer rules, court stays, entry, goods and the 2026 fee stages, read the dedicated Writ of Control guide.
Company profile
Who are Court Enforcement Services Ltd?
Court Enforcement Services Ltd, commonly shortened to CES, is an active private High Court and civil enforcement company under company number 08397825. Companies House records incorporation on 11 February 2013 and the registered office as 3rd Floor, 10 Lloyd's Avenue, London, EC3N 3AJ.
CES provides High Court enforcement, transfer-up of eligible County Court judgments, Employment Tribunal and ACAS award enforcement, residential and commercial possession, Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery, forfeiture and related landlord services.
The Enforcement Conduct Board lists Court Enforcement Services as accredited since October 2023. The HCEOA directory currently lists authorised High Court Enforcement Officers Paul Caddy and Alan Smith with Court Enforcement Services Ltd.
The general legal process
What does Court Enforcement Services do?
A judgment or order exists
A claimant first obtains an enforceable court judgment, tribunal award or possession order.
A High Court writ is sealed
The relevant writ authorises control of goods, possession, delivery or another enforcement step.
An authorised HCEO receives it
The High Court Enforcement Officer assumes responsibility for executing the writ.
Notice is issued
For a writ of control, the debtor normally receives a Notice of Enforcement before attendance.
An agent may attend
A certificated enforcement agent acting for the HCEO can request payment and control qualifying goods.
The writ can be challenged or stayed
The court—not the enforcement company—decides applications affecting the judgment or writ.
The legal role determines the powers
HCEO, certificated enforcement agent or County Court bailiff?
| Role | Meaning | How it relates to CES |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer | Accepts legal responsibility for executing High Court writs. | The HCEOA directory currently links Paul Caddy and Alan Smith to Court Enforcement Services Ltd. |
| Certificated enforcement agent | May attend premises and take control of goods within the certificate and instruction. | The person at the door is commonly a certificated agent acting under the responsible HCEO. |
| County Court bailiff | An HMCTS employee who enforces County Court warrants. | Not an employee of Court Enforcement Services. |
| Debt collector | Can request payment but has no taking-control power without formal authority. | Check whether the notice identifies a writ, warrant, possession order or collection-only instruction. |
Identify the claimant and legal stage
Why are Court Enforcement Services contacting you?
Transferred County Court judgment
An eligible unpaid CCJ above £600 may have been transferred to the High Court for enforcement.
High Court judgment or order
CES may be enforcing a writ issued directly through the High Court.
Employment Tribunal or ACAS award
An unpaid award or settlement may have been transferred for High Court enforcement.
Possession or eviction
The instruction may concern residential or commercial possession, trespassers or squatters.
Commercial property debt
CES provides CRAR, forfeiture, service-charge and related landlord recovery services.
An old address or missed claim
You may first discover the judgment after CES traces a current address.
The writ defines the purpose
Writs and services CES may handle
| Authority | Purpose | Key response |
|---|---|---|
| Writ of control | Enforces a money judgment through payment and control of goods. | Check judgment, writ, balance, notice, ownership and fee stage. |
| Writ of possession | Authorises recovery of land or premises. | Check the possession order, transfer, notice and any stay application. |
| Writ of delivery | Requires delivery of specified goods or their assessed value. | Check the judgment terms and identity or location of the goods. |
| Employment award enforcement | Recovers an unpaid tribunal or ACAS award. | Check award, payments, employer identity and enforcement costs. |
| CRAR | Recovers qualifying pure commercial rent from a tenant’s goods. | Check lease, premises, rent statement, tenant and statutory notice. |
How a County Court judgment reaches the High Court
Why CES may enforce a transferred CCJ
An eligible County Court money judgment can generally be transferred to the High Court where the amount to be enforced is more than £600. Consumer Credit Act judgments cannot normally be enforced through this transfer route.
Transfer does not create a new debt. It changes the enforcement method and allows an authorised HCEO to enforce a sealed writ of control. The full eligibility rules are explained in the Writ of Control guide.
A creditor may choose High Court enforcement because private HCEOs operate nationally and can act more quickly than the County Court bailiff service. This does not remove the debtor’s rights or the need for a valid writ.
The High Court compliance stage
Court Enforcement Services Notice of Enforcement
For writs of control received under the current rules, the debtor normally receives at least 14 clear days’ notice before the enforcement stage starts. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are excluded from the clear-day count.
For a qualifying non-business debt, an authorised debt adviser can request an extension to 28 clear days before the original compliance period expires.
Use this period to verify the writ, seek a court stay if needed, report vulnerability and propose payment. An attendance can add the stage-one High Court fee.
Writ of control fee stages
How an CES writ-of-control case can escalate
Compliance
The HCEO receives the sealed writ, issues notice and adds the compliance fee.
Enforcement stage one
An agent attends after compliance and may seek payment or take control of goods.
Agreement
Goods may remain with the debtor under a controlled-goods or repayment arrangement.
Enforcement stage two
This can apply after refusal to pay and agree terms, or breach of an accepted agreement.
Removal
Non-exempt controlled goods may potentially be removed for sale.
Sale or disposal
Proceeds are applied to the judgment, interest, fees and permitted disbursements.
Use the route that can legally affect the writ
How to stop or pause CES enforcement
| Situation | Action that may stop or pause enforcement | What does not automatically work |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment is correct and affordable | Pay the verified balance before attendance. | Paying an unverified caller or bank account. |
| Correct but unaffordable | Propose sustainable instalments and consider a variation or stay application. | Making an offer without acceptance. |
| Claim was never received | Seek urgent advice about setting aside the judgment and staying the writ. | Assuming a set-aside application itself stops attendance. |
| Judgment was paid | Send proof to CES and the claimant and request immediate withdrawal or stay. | Only telling the visiting agent without evidence. |
| Goods belong to someone else | Provide ownership evidence and use the third-party claim procedure if required. | Hiding or disposing of controlled goods. |
| Qualifying wider debts | Check Breathing Space or a suitable formal insolvency solution. | Assuming an informal DMP automatically binds the HCEO. |
| Possession writ | Seek urgent housing or legal advice about a stay or challenge. | Applying ordinary money-writ entry advice to an eviction. |
Court applications must match the problem
Court options in an CES enforcement case
| Application | Possible purpose | Important warning |
|---|---|---|
| Set aside judgment | Reopens a default judgment where there is a valid procedural or merits basis. | Apply promptly and usually seek a separate stay of the writ. |
| Stay of execution | Temporarily suspends enforcement while another issue is decided or terms are considered. | Enforcement continues until the court grants the stay. |
| Variation or instalment order | Seeks affordable payment terms for a judgment. | The writ may need a separate stay or notification. |
| Appeal | Challenges a legal or procedural decision. | An appeal does not automatically stay enforcement. |
| Third-party goods claim | Determines ownership of controlled goods. | Evidence and procedural deadlines can be important. |
Offers are subject to creditor approval
Court Enforcement Services payment plans
CES allows customers to propose a payment arrangement through its online customer portal or by calling 0343 504 1607 and selecting the option to speak to an adviser.
CES states that repayment offers are subject to creditor approval. Prepare an income-and-expenditure budget, explain any vulnerability or recent change in circumstances and propose an amount you can maintain.
Continue paying an existing arrangement on time unless CES confirms a change. A missed instalment can trigger renewed enforcement and may move a High Court case to a later fee stage.
The writ and premises determine the power
Can Court Enforcement Services force entry?
Ordinary writ of control at a home
- Keep external doors locked
- Speak through the door or window
- Ask for agent ID and the named HCEO
- Request the claimant, writ and balance
- Pay through an official route without opening the door
- Record any proposed agreement in writing
Important exceptions
- An unlocked door can permit peaceful entry
- A vehicle outside may be clamped
- Commercial premises have broader entry rules
- Lawful re-entry may apply after goods are controlled
- A writ of possession can authorise entry and eviction
- Keeping the door shut does not cancel the writ
Ownership and exemptions still apply
What can CES enforcement agents take?
Commonly protected
- Essential clothing and household necessities
- Qualifying work tools within the £1,350 exemption
- Disability equipment
- Domestic pets
- Goods wholly owned by another person
- Assets not legally owned because of finance or leasing
Potentially at risk
- A judgment-debtor-owned vehicle that is not exempt
- Non-essential electronics and valuables
- Jointly owned goods to the debtor’s value
- Stock, machinery and commercial assets
- Goods already listed in a controlled-goods agreement
High Court writ-of-control scale
Court Enforcement Services fees in 2026
| Stage | Writs lodged by 30 April 2026 | Writs lodged from 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | £75 plus VAT or VAT equivalent | £79 plus VAT or VAT equivalent |
| Enforcement stage one | £190 plus 7.5% above £1,000, plus VAT or VAT equivalent | £200 plus 7.5% above £1,200, plus VAT or VAT equivalent |
| Enforcement stage two | £495 plus VAT or VAT equivalent | £520 plus VAT or VAT equivalent |
| Sale or disposal | £525 plus 7.5% above £1,000, plus VAT or VAT equivalent | £550 plus 7.5% above £1,200, plus VAT or VAT equivalent |
Money enforcement and eviction are different
High Court writs of possession and eviction
A writ of possession authorises recovery of land or premises. It can be used in residential, commercial, traveller, protester or trespasser cases depending on the underlying order and transfer.
The ordinary advice that an agent cannot force first entry for a money writ should not be applied to an authorised eviction. The enforcement team may enter to execute the possession writ.
Seek urgent legal or housing advice if there is an upcoming eviction, vulnerable occupant, procedural issue or pending application. A stay must normally be granted before the eviction is stopped.
CES also provides commercial services
Commercial rent, forfeiture and business enforcement
| Service | What it concerns | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| CRAR | Qualifying pure commercial rent under a written lease. | Can operate without an ordinary money judgment where statutory conditions are met. |
| Commercial forfeiture | Re-entry and termination of a commercial lease for breach. | Property and lease rules differ from control-of-goods enforcement. |
| Business judgment enforcement | Money judgments against companies or sole traders. | Commercial-premises entry and asset ownership require careful checks. |
| Employment awards | Unpaid tribunal awards or ACAS settlements. | The employer entity and award balance must match the writ. |
Do not pay another person’s judgment
CES letter for the wrong person, address or judgment
| Problem | Immediate action | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Previous occupant | Tell CES the debtor does not live there. | Tenancy, Council Tax bill, mortgage or utility account. |
| Wrong company or tenant | Identify the current legal occupier and trading entity. | Lease, Companies House record, rates bill and invoices. |
| Judgment already paid | Send proof to CES and the claimant and request withdrawal. | Receipt, bank record, settlement or court confirmation. |
| Claim never received | Seek urgent advice about setting aside and staying enforcement. | Address history, claim service details and proposed defence. |
| Goods belong to another person | Notify CES before removal or sale and make the ownership claim. | Invoices, bank transfers, finance, insurance and asset registers. |
Named Welfare Officer support
Court Enforcement Services and vulnerability
CES states that vulnerable customers are considered case by case by a named Welfare Officer. Its Welfare Team may review circumstances, explain options, relay information to the creditor and signpost to independent support.
Report serious illness, disability, mental-health difficulties, pregnancy, bereavement, domestic abuse, communication needs or acute financial hardship as soon as possible.
Explain the foreseeable harm, the adjustment needed and whether a representative is authorised to communicate. Ask for any hold or alternative contact arrangement in writing.
Use the debtor routes for an active case
Court Enforcement Services contact number and payment
| Route | Current public detail | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Official website | courtenforcementservices.co.uk | Company information, debtor support, services and verification. |
| Debtor telephone | 0343 504 1607 | Active cases, payments, arrangements and welfare support. |
| Debtor email | enq@courtenforcementservices.co.uk | Written account contact and supporting evidence. |
| Customer portal | Online debtor portal | Payment, balance, payment-plan proposal and contact updates. |
| Automated payment | 0343 504 1607, option 1 | 24-hour card payment using the CES reference. |
| Complaints email | customer.care@courtenforcementservices.co.uk | Formal service and conduct complaints. |
| Postal address | Court Enforcement Services Ltd, PO Box 13230, Harlow, Essex, CM20 9UH | Debtor correspondence, cheque or postal payment and complaints. |
| Registered office | 3rd Floor, 10 Lloyd's Avenue, London, EC3N 3AJ | Company identification rather than routine case correspondence. |
Complaint, court dispute and payment request are different
How to complain about Court Enforcement Services
Create a timeline
Record notices, calls, visits, agent names, payments, goods and vulnerability reports.
Preserve evidence
Keep letters, emails, receipts, recordings, photographs and ownership documents.
Complain to CES
Email customer.care@courtenforcementservices.co.uk or write to PO Box 13230, Harlow, CM20 9UH.
Contact the creditor
The judgment creditor should know about conduct, vulnerability and payment-allocation concerns.
Request a separate hold
A complaint does not automatically stop attendance, removal, sale, possession or eviction.
Escalate correctly
Eligible post-1 January 2025 conduct complaints may go to the ECB after CES completes its process; judgment and writ disputes go to court.
Protection depends on the judgment and stage
Can a debt solution stop CES enforcement?
| Option | Potential effect | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Direct CES arrangement | Voluntary hold | Only protects while accepted and maintained. |
| Debt Management Plan | No automatic stay | The claimant and HCEO can continue unless they agree to stop. |
| Breathing Space | Temporary statutory pause | The judgment debt must qualify and the creditor or HCEO must be notified. |
| Approved IVA | Formal creditor protection | Only included qualifying debts and bound creditors are covered. |
| Approved DRO | Formal moratorium | Eligibility is strict; goods already controlled need separate advice. |
| Bankruptcy | Most qualifying recovery restricted | Secured rights, possession, assets and prior control require separate review. |
What to do today
Court Enforcement Services action plan
Save every document
Photograph the notice, envelope, writ reference, visit letter, clamp and inventory.
Verify the judgment and writ
Check claimant, court, amount, address, payments and writ issue details.
Identify the fee stage
Separate compliance, stage one, stage two, sale, VAT treatment and disbursements.
Choose the legal response
Pay, negotiate, seek a stay, set aside, prove ownership or obtain debt advice.
Contact CES and claimant
Give both organisations relevant evidence and ask for a written hold.
Confirm status
Check whether attendance, stage two, removal, sale or eviction is suspended.
Need help with CES and wider debts?
Request a callback to review the writ, enforcement stage and whether an IVA may be suitable for qualifying personal debts.
Frequently asked questions
Court Enforcement Services FAQs
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Official and primary sources
Sources used for this Court Enforcement Services guide
Official Court Enforcement Services website
Company services, debtor support and current contact routes.
CES DebtorsDebtor FAQ
Payment arrangements, visits, reference numbers and welfare review.
CES PaymentOfficial payment options
Portal, telephone, bank transfer, postal payment and debtor contact.
CES WelfareVulnerable customer support
Named Welfare Officers, case-by-case support and independent signposting.
CES ComplaintsComplaints procedure
Contact routes, response targets, evidence and ECB escalation.
Companies HouseCourt Enforcement Services Ltd
Company number, status, incorporation and registered office.
ECBAccredited Firms Register
CES accreditation since October 2023.
HCEOAHigh Court Enforcement Officer directory
Paul Caddy and Alan Smith listed with Court Enforcement Services Ltd.
HCEOAHigh Court fee stages
Current and earlier writ-of-control fee tables.
GOV.UKBailiff powers and rights
Notice, entry, identity, goods and payment arrangements.
GOV.UKHigh Court Enforcement Officers
Writs, authorised officers and enforcement responsibility.
Legislation.gov.uk2026 enforcement amendments
Notice-period and High Court fee changes from May 2026.
GOV.UKBreathing Space
Temporary protection for qualifying notified debts and writs.