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Debt Advice Handbook 14th edition

Chapter 13: The magistrates’ court

• 1. The magistrates’ court
• The role of the adviser
• 2. Financial penalties
• Compensation orders
• Payments
• Transfer of fines
• Remitting fines
• Lodging fines
• Means enquiry
• Fixing a return date
• Varying and setting aside a financial penalty
• Registration of the financial penalty
• 3. Enforcing a financial penalty
• Collection order
• If the client is an existing defaulter
• If the client is not an existing defaulter
• Attachment of earnings orders
• Deductions from benefits
• Varying the terms of a collection order
• If the attachment of earnings order or deductions from benefits fails
• If the client defaults on the collection order
• Appeals and referrals
• Warrant of control
• The use of bailiffs (enforcement agents)
• Clamping order
• Money payments supervision order
• Imprisonment
• Short local detention
• Attendance centre order
• High Court and county court orders
• 4. Council tax
• Liability orders
• Issuing an order
• After the liability order is made
• Setting aside a liability order
• Committal to prison
• Outcome of the committal hearing
• 5. Wilful refusal and culpable neglect

This chapter looks at how the magistrates’ court operates as both a creditor and a collector of debts. It covers:

1. The magistrates’ court (next)

2. Financial penalties (here)

3. Enforcing a financial penalty (here)

4. Council tax (here)

5. Wilful refusal and culpable neglect (here)