Winning a CCJ against a limited company is only half the job. Companies don't have wages to attach or, usually, a home to put a charge over, so collecting what you're owed means understanding the specific tools built for company debtors rather than reaching for the same playbook used against an individual.

Step 1: Understand why company enforcement works differently

Two of the most common enforcement tools against an individual, an attachment of earnings order and a charging order over their home, simply don't apply to a company: it has no wages to attach and, unless it owns property in its own name, no home to charge. Enforcement against a company instead centres on its assets, its bank account, and ultimately its ability to keep trading at all, which is what makes a statutory demand and winding-up petition so effective as a lever, even before you get to physical enforcement.

Step 2: Check the company is still active before spending money enforcing

Before committing to any enforcement route, check the company's status on Companies House. A company already in liquidation or administration puts you in a queue of creditors rather than in a position to enforce individually, and a company that's been dissolved may have no assets left to pursue at all. This five-minute check can save you the cost of a High Court transfer or a statutory demand against a company that's no longer worth pursuing on its own.

Step 3: Transfer the judgment up to the High Court for a Writ of Control

For judgments of £600 or more (once court fees, interest, and costs are added), you can transfer the CCJ to the High Court and have a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) execute a Writ of Control, the High Court's equivalent of a warrant of control, but with stronger powers than a county court bailiff. For judgments over £5,000, using an HCEO for this route is required rather than optional. The HCEO visits the company's premises, and if payment isn't made after a notice of enforcement, can take control of goods to sell towards the debt.

Step 4: Use a statutory demand to apply real pressure

For debts of £750 or more, a statutory demand is often more effective against a company than physical enforcement, because it starts a clock the company can't easily ignore. If the company doesn't pay, secure the debt, or reach a settlement within 21 days of the demand, it's treated in law as unable to pay its debts, which is the trigger for the next step. This tends to focus a company's attention fast, since the consequence of ignoring it is existential rather than just another bill.

Step 5: Escalate to a winding-up petition if the statutory demand is ignored

Once the 21 days pass with no payment, you can present a winding-up petition to the Companies Court, asking the court to wind up the company on the basis it can't pay its debts. This carries a court fee and a deposit (to fund the winding-up process itself) on top of the debt you're owed, so it's a real financial commitment, and it benefits creditors generally rather than putting you first in line. In practice, many companies pay up as soon as a petition is presented or even threatened, precisely because a winding-up petition becoming public can freeze their bank account and destroy their ability to trade.

Step 6: Consider a third party debt order against the company's bank account

If you know which bank the company uses, a third party debt order freezes funds in that account up to the amount you're owed and, if the court confirms the order, pays them directly to you. This route depends on the account actually holding enough funds at the right moment, so it works best when you have some visibility into the company's banking, whether from a previous invoice, a cheque, or other correspondence.

Step 7: Weigh a charging order if the company owns property

If the company owns land or property in its own name, you can apply for a charging order against it, securing your debt against that asset so it must be paid when the property is sold or refinanced. This won't get you paid immediately, and it competes with any existing mortgage or charges already registered against the property, but it's a durable way to secure a debt against a company that has assets but not readily available cash.

A worked example

A supplier is owed £4,500 by a limited company that stopped responding after the judgment. The supplier transfers the CCJ to the High Court and instructs a High Court Enforcement Officer, but the site visit finds no goods worth seizing. Rather than stopping there, the supplier serves a statutory demand for the £4,500. Twenty-one days pass with no payment, so the supplier presents a winding-up petition to the Companies Court. Two days before the hearing, the company pays in full to avoid being wound up.

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and thresholds, fees, and procedures can change. LawClaims is a document preparation tool, not a law firm, and no solicitor-client relationship is formed by using it or reading this page. Statutory demands and winding-up petitions carry real financial and legal risk if used incorrectly, so for anything beyond a straightforward, undisputed debt, consider advice from a solicitor or insolvency practitioner.

How to Enforce a CCJ Against a Limited Company