Application for Rule 21 Judgment Letter Template
Get a decision on your Tribunal claim with ease. Use our Rule 21 Judgment application template when your employer doesn't respond or contest your claim.


What's included:
- A letter template to apply to the Employment Tribunal for a Rule 21 judgment.
- Option to include a Peace of Mind check and a guided walkthrough with a Valla coach to ensure your document is professional and taken seriously.
- Downloadable letter in .doc and .pdf formats.
Price:
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What our customers say:
Valla has been a useful resource for template letters for me as a litigant in person and the team are always happy to support with guidance on processes when needed.
Nicola Montana

Excellent resource for litigants in person
Valla has been a useful resource for template letters for me as a litigant in person and the team are always happy to support with guidance on processes when needed.
How an Application for Rule 21 Judgment can get your case resolved
If your employer hasn’t responded to an Employment Tribunal or they’re not contesting your claim, you can apply for a Rule 21 Judgment. Rule 21 in the Employment Tribunal Rules means that a Tribunal can either issue a decision on your documents, or fix a hearing.
Examples of when you can apply for a Rule 21 Judgment in your Employment Tribunal
Although the Tribunal should make a Rule 21 judgment on their own, it may be helpful to send this letter in case the Tribunal doesn’t issue one straight away. Here are some examples where you can apply for a Rule 21 to the Employment Tribunal:
Nikolai has made a claim in the Employment Tribunal but his ex-employer has not yet submitted a Response, even though their 28-day time limit for doing this has passed.
Nikolai phones the Tribunal and they confirm that they have not yet received anything.
He makes an application for a Rule 21 Judgment to ask the Tribunal to determine the issues in the case without a hearing.
How you can apply to the Employment Tribunal for a Rule 21 Judgment
If you haven’t received a response to your claim, you can apply for a Rule 21 Judgment. You should:
- check with the Tribunal before you start - it’s possible that a Response has been received and just not been processed by the Tribunal yet
- create the application letter or email (Valla template will be available soon)
- send the application letter or email to the Tribunal
- copy in the Respondent
- wait for the Tribunal to confirm whether or not a hearing will be listed or whether they are able to make a decision on the basis of the documents they have received
- chase the Tribunal by phone if you don’t hear from them.
Legal services at Valla
While Valla isn’t a law firm, we offer many “un-reserved” legal services to help you run your Tribunal case. These legal services are delivered by hand-picked professionals with Tribunal experience and a variety of legal qualifications.
Some of our legal professionals are qualified solicitors and barristers, some are registered with CILEX, others have a law degree. All have extensive experience with the Tribunal and clients. Because we aren’t a regulated legal provider by the SRA, we hold our own professional indemnity insurance. You can read more on our terms of service.
What our customers say about us

Valla has been a lifesaver for me
Valla has been a lifesaver for me. They are so helpful and on top of that, everyone has been so nice. I really felt that they emphasised with what I was going through. I will be using them from now until my tribunal issue is settled.

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Valla are excellent. I genuinely believe they helped guide me to the best possible outcome for my specific circumstances. They are a choir of angels; I wouldn't have been able to consider going through the processes involved with my experience without their support.

Excellent low-cost employment tribunal guidance
I have just won my employment tribunal case for unfair dismissal, and I'm not sure if I would have been able to do it without Valla! Katie and Danae were absolutely brilliant in helping me prepare for the tribunal, prepare certain documents, and help me to feel confident in my case! I would highly recommend Valla to anyone who is representing themselves in an employment tribunal case! 10/10 for me!