The N9 Response Pack is a specific set of reply forms that are served on a debtor along with the claim form. The Pack consists of:
- Admission Form N9A
- Admission Form N9C
- Defence or Counterclaim Form N9B
- Defence or Counterclaim Form N9D
- Acknowledgement of Service
Admission Form N9A and N9C
If the claim against the debtor is for a specified sum of money, then they should complete Form N9A. If the claim against the debtor is for an unspecified sum of money, or a non-money and return of goods claim, they should complete Form N9C. Both N9A and N9C provide similar fields for the debtor to complete.
Forms N9A and N9C from the N9 Response Pack provide the debtor with the option to either admit the full claim, or a part of it. In addition, the debtor can propose an instalment offer or specific date by which to pay the debt. If the debtor makes a part-admission which the creditor does not accept, then matter will proceed as a defended claim. If the creditor accepts the admission, but not the instalment proposal, then the court will set the rate at which the debtor should pay.
Defence or Counterclaim Form N9B and N9D
Similar to the admission forms, there are two defence forms depending if the claim was for a specified sum of money or not.
Forms N9B and N9D provide the debtor with space to provide details of their defence and to file a counterclaim. A counterclaim is a claim against the creditor and if the debtor does file a counterclaim, they are required to pay an issue fee along with it (in the same way that a creditor pays an issue fee when submitting a claim to the court to be issued).
Acknowledgement of Service
The Acknowledgement of Service (AOS) is an interim response that provides the debtor with an additional 14 days to respond to the claim against them; it also provides them with the opportunity to indicate how they intend to respond in full.
