Disputes · Time limits
Limitation period checker
Most business claims in England and Wales must be started within six years: six years from the breach for a contract claim, and from the damage for negligence. Contracts made as a deed allow twelve years, and defamation only one. Pick your claim to see when time runs out, so that you can take action to protect your position.
Written by Vanessa Challess, Solicitor, qualified 2003 · Last reviewed
Enter the start date to see when time runs out.
A guide only, not legal advice. England and Wales. We show the earliest date the period could end, which is the day before the anniversary. It does not cover personal injury, land, children or people who lack capacity, or claims with a contractual time limit. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Common questions
- What is a limitation period?
- The time limit for starting a court claim. If you issue after it has run out, the other side can defend the claim on that ground alone, however strong it is.
- When does time stop running?
- When the court receives your claim form, not when you send a letter before action. Proceedings are brought on the date the claim form is received in the court office, if that is earlier than the date it is issued, so keep proof of the date it arrived.
- Why do you show the day before the anniversary?
- Usually the day the claim arose is not counted, so the period ends on the anniversary. Where the claim arose at the stroke of midnight, for example the day after a payment deadline, that day is counted and the period ends a day earlier (Matthew v Sedman [2021] UKSC 19). We show the earlier date so you are never a day late.
- Can the debtor restart the clock?
- For a debt, yes. A written acknowledgment signed by the debtor, or a part payment, restarts the six years from that date (sections 29 and 30). It cannot revive a claim that is already time-barred.
- What if I only found out about the problem recently?
- For negligence causing financial loss or property damage, you may have three years from when you first knew enough to claim, subject to a 15-year longstop from the negligent act (sections 14A and 14B). Where the claim is based on fraud, a relevant fact was deliberately concealed, or the claim is for relief from the consequences of a mistake, time does not start until you discovered it or could reasonably have done (section 32). If the defendant deliberately concealed a relevant fact, the 15-year longstop does not apply (section 32(5)).
- Is there a time limit for a shareholder dispute?
- Not for an unfair prejudice petition: the Supreme Court held in THG Plc v Zedra Trust Company (Jersey) Ltd [2026] UKSC 6 that no limitation period applies. Delay can still lead the court to refuse relief, and related claims, such as a claim against a director, do have time limits.
- Can we agree to extend the time limit?
- Yes. The parties can sign a standstill agreement that pauses the clock while they negotiate. It must be clearly drafted and signed before time runs out.
Where the rules come from
- Limitation Act 1980: sections 2, 4A, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14A, 14B, 21, 24, 29, 30, 32 and 32A.
- Practice Direction 7A: when a claim is brought for limitation purposes (paragraph 6.1).
- Matthew v Sedman [2021] UKSC 19: counting the first day in midnight deadline cases.
- THG Plc v Zedra Trust Company (Jersey) Ltd [2026] UKSC 6: no limitation period for unfair prejudice petitions.
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General information about the law in England and Wales, last reviewed 24 October 2026. It is not legal advice. Bonsai Law Ltd is incorporated in England (company number 13926937) and authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No 8000734). Registered office: The Business Terrace, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ. Complaints