Court Claim Defence

Falcon50

General consensus of opinion required please. My imminent court date has been postponed due to Covid-19, but the court has also requested to make it's own judgment without an oral hearing based on evidence already submitted by both parties.
I think I have a very good case, in my Witness Statement I quoted all the abuse of process info and various inaccuracies in the Claimants WS.
I really wanted this to be over ASAP due to the stress it's causing me but I was well prepared to defend this in court.
I really don't know whether to let the court decide or have my day in court. Any opinions please?

D_P_Dance

My personal preference would be to have this postponed until I can question the claimant face to face.  Especially when abuse of process is in the mix, soe judges take a very hard line with this.  .  

nosferatu1001

Yes , only one route

oral hearing 
papers is terrible 

Falcon50

Yes I thought that may be the best option, it just prolongs the waiting, I was all riled up ready to go and pull them to pieces, now I'll have to calm down and wait until a new hearing date comes through.

D_P_Dance

 I was all riled up ready to go and pull them to pieces, now I'll have to calm down and wait until a new hearing date comes through.

Calm down, Judge Rinder is not real.

nosferatu1001

Are you sure inaction is all that's needed?
sone courts have wanted Parties to explicitly tell them the option. We don't know ,your letter will tell you 

beamerguy

Falcon50 said:

Yes I thought that may be the best option, it just prolongs the waiting, I was all riled up ready to go and pull them to pieces, now I'll have to calm down and wait until a new hearing date comes through.

Read this about a recent case handled by phone. The judge erred many times and you do not want this
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6124037/cel-court-hearing-now-being-heard-over-telephone-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/p1

Falcon50

I've read through that post. My letter states that both parties must consent to an unrepresented hearing by agreeing in writing or by email to the court by a date to too far from now.
It also says we can object to this within 7 days of receiving the letter, but the letter has taken 2 weeks to arrive and it's too late for that now as the original scheduled hearing is imminent. It makes no odds anyway as I'll say I wish to have a face to face hearing at a later date. I've been 6 months preparing for it, I don't want it to all be for nothing.

D_P_Dance

If the letter arrived two weeks late then tell them so.  We advice that you  refuse outright anything but a face to face hearing, any other severely disadvantages you.  

Coupon-mad

Object to it anyway, and state when you received the Order and what you request the court does, and why you want a face to face hearing (this has been spelt out several times on lots of threads this month).