Do I have to pay to enforce a county court judgment even though I already won?

Yes. The court will not take enforcement action unless you apply and pay the relevant fee, and that fee is not refunded if the method you chose does not produce any money. The fee is normally added to the amount the debtor owes, but only if the enforcement action succeeds.

What is the best enforcement method if I do not know anything about the debtor's finances?

You can apply for an order to obtain information, which forces the debtor to disclose their income, assets and spending. It is not itself a way of getting paid, but it helps you choose a method, such as a warrant of control, a third-party debt order or a charging order, that actually matches what they have.

Can bailiffs take everything from someone's home under a warrant of control?

No. Enforcement agents cannot remove essential household items, a tradesperson's tools, or goods that are still subject to a hire-purchase or rental agreement. They also will not take goods that are unlikely to raise enough money at auction to be worth the effort.

What happens if the debtor genuinely has no money or assets?

None of the enforcement methods will produce money from someone with nothing to take. The judgment still stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years and can affect their ability to get credit, which sometimes puts pressure on them to pay later, but the court has been clear that there is no certainty you will ever get the money you are owed.

Did enforcement fees change recently?

Yes. Court and tribunal fees, including enforcement fees, increased from 13 July 2026 under the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026, after an earlier planned start date of 6 July 2026 was postponed. It is worth checking the current fee on gov.uk before applying, rather than relying on older figures.

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You won your small claim but they still won't pay: your enforcement options

A county court judgment does not mean the money arrives. Here is how warrants of control, charging orders and other enforcement tools act…