Court Intelligence
Court Wait Times by Case Type, Circuit, and Region
Small claims wait times vary by over 15 weeks between equivalent courts in England & Wales. Choose the right court, set realistic timelines, and advise clients with confidence.
36 weeks
National median — small claims issue to trial (Q4 2025)
25 weeks
National median — fast track issue to trial (Q4 2025)
24.6 weeks
Crown Court mean wait — vs 9.6 week median
Source: HMCTS Civil Justice Statistics Q4 2025 · Crown Court Statistics Q4 2025. Court-level data compiled by Meridian.
What you get
Starter includes national and circuit-level trends, disposal date estimates, and data export. Pro adds full historical data, API access, and unlimited saved queries.
National & Circuit-Level Trends
See how wait times are moving for every case type — Small Claims, Fast Track, Multi-Track, and Crown Court. Compare the 7 circuits side by side to spot regional differences.
Data from 2009 to present, updated quarterly. Select date ranges, overlay circuit comparisons, and export to CSV.
Case Type Breakdown
Every civil and criminal case type tracked separately — each with its own trend line. Understand where backlogs are building and where courts are clearing faster.
Crown Court mean wait is 24.6 weeks vs a 9.6-week median — a small number of very long cases distort the average. This context matters for litigation planning.
Circuit Alerts
Set a threshold for any circuit and case type combination. Get notified when wait times cross it — up or down. Stay ahead of shifts without checking manually.
Configure once, receive ongoing. Example: "Notify me if South Eastern Circuit Small Claims exceeds 40 weeks." Also available for improving courts.
Disposal Date Estimator
Enter an issue date, case type, and circuit — get a projected disposal date you can use in client advice letters and cash flow planning.
Based on actual median wait times. Confidence ranges shown where data allows. Updated with each quarterly release.
5-Year Historical Trends
Access the full historical dataset going back 5+ years. Identify long-term trends, seasonal patterns, and how COVID recovery is playing out across each circuit.
Compare pre-COVID baselines to current performance. See how court closures and backlogs have shifted case volumes between circuits. Export full history.
Saved Queries & Export
Save your most-used court, case type, and circuit combinations. Export any view for reports, board packs, or your own analysis.
Starter plans include 5 saved queries with standard export. Pro adds unlimited queries, API access, and priority support.
Pairs with
FCA Enforcement
Firms under FCA enforcement action frequently face civil litigation too. When the FCA issues a final notice, court proceedings often follow. Combine both datasets to track the full regulatory-to-legal timeline.
Litigation teams
Choose the fastest court for the case type. Reduce WIP days on multi-track cases. Compare circuits to make informed decisions about where to issue proceedings.
Litigation funders
Model cash flow against realistic case timelines per court and case type. Factor in circuit-level variation when underwriting new investments.
Insurers & claims handlers
Forecast reserve timelines more accurately by factoring in actual court wait times by circuit. Identify faster resolution paths for lower-value claims.
Start tracking court wait times
Early access pricing locked in for the first 50 subscribers.