Fast track
The civil procedure track for claims generally worth £10,000 to £25,000 — more structured than the small claims track, but kept on a tighter, cheaper timetable than the intermediate or multi-track.
What claims go on the fast track?
Most money claims worth more than the small claims track's £10,000 limit but not more than £25,000, where the claim does not need the more complex case management of the intermediate or multi-track. Claims seeking a non-monetary remedy can also be allocated to the fast track if the monetary element is within £25,000, the trial is likely to last no more than a day, and expert evidence is limited.
Is the fast track the same as the small claims track?
No. The small claims track is normally for claims up to £10,000 and uses a simplified procedure with very limited costs recovery. The fast track sits above it, for claims generally between £10,000 and £25,000, and involves fuller case management, disclosure and a more conventional costs regime.
Does the loser pay the winner's costs on the fast track?
Generally yes, in principle, but fast track claims are mostly subject to fixed recoverable costs under Civil Procedure Rules Part 45 rather than the detailed costs assessment used on the multi-track. This means the amount a losing party has to pay towards the other side's costs is largely set by a published scale rather than negotiated case by case.
What happened to the old £25,000 fast track ceiling in October 2023?
The fast track itself kept its usual ceiling of £25,000, but Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 was restructured from 1 October 2023 to insert a new intermediate track between the fast track and the multi-track, for claims generally up to £100,000 that are too complex for the fast track but do not need full multi-track case management.
How long does a fast track trial usually last?
The track is designed around trials that take no more than a day, with directions set to keep disclosure and expert evidence proportionate to that timetable. If a case turns out to need longer or more complex case management than that, it may be reallocated to the intermediate or multi-track instead.
Can a case be moved off the fast track later?
Yes. Allocation is not fixed once made — the court can reallocate a case to a different track at any stage if it becomes clear the original allocation no longer fits, for example because the value or complexity of the dispute changes as the case develops.
Where the fast track sits among the civil tracks
Civil claims in England and Wales are allocated to one of four tracks once a defence is filed, based mainly on financial value, complexity and the remedy sought. The small claims track takes claims generally up to £10,000, using a stripped-down procedure where each side normally pays their own costs. The fast track sits immediately above that, for monetary claims of not more than £25,000 that do not need especially complex case management — the rules expect a trial lasting no more than a day, and limit how much expert evidence either side can rely on.
Since 1 October 2023, Part 26 was restructured to add a new intermediate track above the fast track, for claims generally up to £100,000 that are too complex for the fast track's streamlined approach but do not need the full multi-track process. Anything above the intermediate track's scope, or that the rules otherwise flag as unsuitable for it, goes to the multi-track, which carries no fixed financial ceiling.
How a claim ends up allocated to the fast track
- 1 Defence filed. Once a defence is filed, a court officer provisionally decides the most suitable track and sends a notice of proposed allocation.
- 2 Directions questionnaires. Both parties complete and return a directions questionnaire, giving the court information to confirm or change the proposed track.
- 3 Allocation. The court allocates the case, considering value, complexity, the remedy sought, the number of parties and whether expert or extensive oral evidence is likely to be needed.
- 4 Fast track directions. Standard directions set out a timetable for disclosure, witness statements and any expert evidence, built around a trial of no more than a day.
Costs work differently once a claim reaches the fast track
Unlike the small claims track, where costs recovery is tightly limited, fast track claims are mostly governed by the fixed recoverable costs scheme in Civil Procedure Rules Part 45. Instead of the court assessing exactly what a winning party reasonably spent, the amount recoverable is largely set by a published scale linked to the stage the case reached and, for many claims, its value band. This is meant to make the financial risk of fast track litigation more predictable for both sides than an open-ended costs assessment would be.
A claimant sues a builder for £18,000 over defective work, with liability disputed and one expert report needed on each side to establish the standard of workmanship expected.
Small claims track limit
Expected trial length
Because the claim is above the small claims limit but within the fast track's £25,000 ceiling, and does not need more than one expert on each side or a trial longer than a day, it is likely to be allocated to the fast track rather than the intermediate or multi-track, with costs largely governed by the Part 45 fixed costs scale rather than a full costs assessment.
Civil Procedure Rules, Part 26
Civil Procedure Rules, Part 28
Civil Procedure Rules, Part 45
Fast Track — Small Claims Glossary
What the fast track is, how claims between £10,000 and £25,000 are allocated to it, and how its costs rules differ from the small claims and intermediate tracks.