If you wish to dispute the claim or wish to claim against the claimant (counter-claim) you must complete Form N9D Defence and return it to the court within 14 days. You must clearly state your reason for the dispute. If you need longer than 14 days to prepare your defence you must complete the ‘Acknowledgement Of Service’.
NOTE: Keep a copy for your records and bring it with you to the hearing.
The court will send a copy of your defence to the claimant.
If the court agrees that you have a valid defence it will tell you and the claimant what to do to prepare for a future hearing. If you send your defence to the court after the 14 days has expired, and you want to rely on it at the hearing, the court may take your failure to file it on time into account when deciding what order to make in respect of costs.
