District Court
Step 2 - Make a Counterclaim (Optional)
If you dispute the claim being made against you, you may decide to make your own claim against the claimant. This is known as a counterclaim. To do this, you must submit a Statement of Counterclaim form (Form 42.08), along with your original Appearance and Defence form (as outlined in Step 1), in the court office named on the Claim Notice. You must also serve both documents on the claimant or their solicitor. For more information on serving and proof of service, please see our Serving and Proof of Service page.
The Statement of Counterclaim should:
- State that you, as the respondent, are making your own claim against the claimant.
- Outline all the claims being made against you.
- State the amount, or other compensation, you are seeking from the claimant.
- Include a list of any correspondence or documents that you will rely on.
You must submit the Statement of Counterclaim form and the Appearance and Defence form with the relevant court office within 28 days of receiving the Claim Notice. When submitting these forms, you must pay a €15 court fee on the Statement of Counterclaim form in the relevant court office (or in Dublin, at the Stamping Office in the Áras Uí Dhálaigh building in the Four Courts complex). You can pay this fee by card or cash.