Can I add to my Defence

[Stella58]

Hello. Npower are taking me to court and I have sent off Acknowledgment and now need to send details of my Defence to the court on the court paperwork. Can I add to this later? Is there some legal term I can put in my defence To say my defence won’t be limited to what I put on that document? Thanks for any help you can provide.

[jaguarsuk]

Hello. Npower are taking me to court and I have sent off Acknowledgment and now need to send details of my Defence to the court on the court paperwork. Can I add to this later?.

Possibly, you would have to apply to amend your defence with it's associated cost to do so.

Is there some legal term I can put in my defence To say my defence won’t be limited to what I put on that document? Thanks for any help you can provide.

No, your defence is what is in that document unless later amended.

Why are you intending filing an incomplete defence?

[Stella58]

I am still talking to Offgem and have only in last few days taken professional advice on the matter from an accountant and will try and get some affordable legal advice too. So I need to get initial defence reasons in by end of this week 18/11 but my defence will be more in-depth later. It’s for over £10k so won’t be small claims. I think as long as I stick to same reasons, terrible accounting, backbilling 10 years ago, and not introduce a different defence I can add to it later. Any advice would be appreciated and if anyone knows a solicitor that specialises in energy companies I’d appreciate the contact details. Thanks

[jaguarsuk]

You would be better writing to the claimant to agree an extension to the defence deadline pursuant to CPR 15.5 and submitting a complete defence initially.

As I have said, you cannot simply add to the defence later, you must apply to amend it at a cost of £255 unless you are eligible for fee remission.