N244 Application Checklist 2026: The Essential Guide

This N244 application checklist starts from a simple fact: most applications are lost on the paperwork, not the merits. A missing draft order, evidence served a day late or a costs statement filed an hour short can derail a hearing before the judge reaches the point. Here is a working checklist for getting an application right when time is tight.

Before you file anything

• Confirm N244 is the right form. It is the general application notice under CPR Part 23, but some applications, such as appeals, have their own form.
• State the order you want and why. Rule 23.6 requires the notice to say what order is sought and, briefly, why, and Practice Direction 23A para 2.1 requires it to be signed and to request a hearing or no hearing.
• Check any time limit. An application is made in time if the court receives it within that time (CPR 23.5).
• Ask the other side for consent first. A consent application costs less and may be decided without a hearing (CPR 23.8; PD 23A para 8).
• Apply as soon as it becomes necessary (PD 23A para 2.5), and where a hearing is already fixed, try to have the application heard then (para 2.6).

What to file with an N244 application

• The signed N244, with the order sought and the reasons.
• A draft order. In multi-track cases, a case summary is required as well (PD 23A para 6.5).
• Your evidence: a witness statement (see our guide to witness statement drafting), or the N244 itself verified by a statement of truth (para 7.5). Exhibits are served but not filed unless the court directs otherwise (para 7.4).
• The court fee, or a Help with Fees reference.
• Service copies of the N244, the evidence and the draft order for each respondent (CPR 23.7(3)).

How much does an N244 application cost?

An N244 application costs £321 on notice and £126 by consent or without notice, following the fee increase that took effect on 13 July 2026. If a without-notice application is ordered to proceed on notice, the balance is payable before it goes ahead.

The GOV.UK civil court fees page (EX50) also confirms there is no fee for a consent application to adjourn a hearing if the court receives it at least 14 days beforehand. Older figures of £313 and £123 still circulate, so check EX50 before filing.

When must an N244 application be served?

A copy must be served as soon as practicable after filing and at least 3 days before the court deals with the application, counted as clear days. For a Friday hearing, the last day to serve is the Monday before, as the example in CPR 2.8 shows. An email sent after 4.30pm is treated as served the next business day under CPR 6.26.

When	What to do	Rule
As soon as it appears necessary	Make the application	PD 23A para 2.5
Straight after filing	Serve the N244, evidence and draft order on each respondent	CPR 23.7(1)(a)
At least 3 clear days before the hearing	Latest date for service	CPR 23.7(1)(b); CPR 2.8
By 4pm, at least 2 days before the hearing	File and serve any documents needed in advance, such as a bundle	PD 23A para 6.4
At least 24 hours before the hearing	File and serve the statement of costs (N260)	PD 44 para 9.5(4)
After an order made without notice	Serve the application and evidence with the order; the other side has 7 days to apply to set it aside	CPR 23.9 and 23.10

Final checks before filing

• Check the pack against this list, not just the page count, so the N244, draft order, evidence and fee are all present.
• Count clear days, not calendar days, and serve by email only where the other side has agreed in writing to accept service that way.
• Diary every date: service, the 4pm filing deadline, the 24-hour costs statement and the hearing. Diary management is exactly the work covered by our administrative legal support.
• Keep a dated record of what was filed and served, and who approved it, as described in supervision in writing and what to document for an SRA inspection.
• Agree who is signing. The fee earner signs and stays responsible, even where a paralegal prepared the pack.

Where this fits into a wider workload

Applications arrive in the middle of a caseload and run on timetables the firm does not control. A supervised paralegal can prepare the whole pack, from the draft N244 and draft order to the service copies, deadline diary and costs statement, while the fee earner settles the grounds and signs. Our court filing support page sets out what we prepare, How it works shows how a supervised paralegal is brought in, and our Pricing page shows how a flat-rate paralegal fits into that workflow.