walsall-county-and-family-court--directions-questionnaire-n180

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The Directions Questionnaire (Form N180) tells the court how your Walsall County and Family Court claim should be handled: which track fits, whether you want mediation, how many witnesses you will call, how long the hearing needs to be, and any constraints on venue. Return it within the period on the Notice of Allocation - missing it can lead to sanctions or an order made without your input.

The questions that matter in small claims

Be realistic: ask for the shorter hearing length if your evidence genuinely fits it - over-requesting can move costs against you later; under-requesting squeezes your cross-examination. Name your witnesses and say briefly what each will deal with. Say yes to the free mediation appointment: it is a separate, without-prejudice phone call and costs nothing to attempt.

Venue and availability

You may ask for the hearing to be at a different court if there is a good reason - distance, disability, or where the events happened. Give honest availability windows; listed dates outside them are hard to change later, and a missed hearing usually means the claim is struck out or judgment entered against you.

Checklist

Returned within the deadline on the Notice of Allocation
Realistic hearing length requested
Witnesses named with topics
Mediation appointment accepted
Venue constraints honestly stated

Official sources and related pages

[Full Form N180 guide](/guides/directions-questionnaire-n180-guide.html)
[Small claims mediation - what to expect](/guides/small-claims-mediation-what-to-expect.html)

Court details (verified register data)

Court: Walsall County and Family Court
Court code: 358
Address: Bridge House Bridge Street Walsall WS1 1JQ, WS1 1JQ
Phone: 0300 123 5577
Civil filing email: bailiffs.walsall.countycourt@justice.gov.uk
DX: DX 98090 Dartford 2
Public counter hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00
Document drop-box: Not published in the register - confirm with the court directly
Hearing format: Not published in the register - confirm with the court directly
Facilities: disabled access

*Source: https://www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk/courts/walsall-county-and-family-court. Verified 2026-09-04. Always confirm against the official court finder before travelling.*

Free national support

Support Through Court: 0300 081 0000 - free, independent support for litigants without a lawyer
Citizens Advice consumer service: 0808 223 1133 - consumer disputes, pre-claim guidance
HMCTS general enquiries: 0300 123 7050 - finding the right court or money claim centre

Filing a witness statement? The Casewright CPR Part 32 Witness Statement & Bundle Builder structures your statement into CPR 32-compliant numbered paragraphs with a correct statement of truth and indexed exhibits - flat £79. *This site is independent of Casewright; link is a sponsored referral.*

This page is general information about County Court procedure, not legal advice, and it is not provided by HMCTS or any court. Procedures and fees change - always confirm against the official sources linked here before you act.

>Small Claims Court Help is an independent information directory. It is not affiliated with HMCTS, the Ministry of Justice, or any court.

*Reviewed by Sean McNamara, 2026-09-04.*