When a claim is defended, the court has to decide how it will be managed through to trial. That decision is track allocation: the court assigns the claim to a procedural track that shapes everything from the timetable and the evidence allowed to how costs are recovered. For a solicitor, being able to predict the track from the moment a claim is contemplated is essential — it drives your advice on cost, proportionality, and how hard a case is worth fighting.
This lesson builds your understanding step by step:
- Overview and the Four Tracks — what allocation is, the directions questionnaire, and the financial thresholds for each track.
- Calculating Financial Value — what to strip out when valuing a claim, and the statement of value on the claim form.
- Track Criteria and Exceptions — the special rules for personal injury and the intermediate track.
- Wider Allocation Factors — the non-financial factors, the court's discretion, counterclaims, and part-admissions.
- Procedure by Track — how hearings, evidence, and experts differ across the tracks.
- Costs — recoverability on each track, fixed costs, costs budgets, and the standard versus indemnity basis.
By the end you will be able to place any defended claim on the right track and explain what follows.