Debt recovery

Recovery starts with a letter of demand that must be legally admissible — setting out the specific details of the debt, a payment deadline, and a warning that recovery options will be pursued if it passes unpaid.

If payment is not made, court proceedings begin with a statement of claim. What happens next depends on the debtor's response: they may agree an instalment order, fail to respond — in which case judgment is entered — or file a defence.

Once judgment is obtained, the court offers a range of enforcement options: seizing goods for sale at auction, selling real estate, summoning the debtor to a public examination of their assets and liabilities, attachment of earnings, or bankruptcy and winding-up proceedings. We can manage the process right through to insolvency where need be — and advise honestly on whether it is commercially viable to proceed at all.

One way to protect against bad debt is to review your contracts, trade agreements and terms of trade. We help you make sure your terms are clear and your processes solid, so you can avoid lengthy and costly litigation in the future.

• Legally sound letters of demand
• Issuing proceedings and obtaining judgment
• Enforcement — seizure of goods, charging orders, attachment of earnings and examinations
• Bankruptcy and winding-up proceedings against non-payers
• Reviewing contracts and terms of trade to prevent repeat bad debts

We believe clients should know what small debt claims will cost — particularly for debts under £10,000, where the winner does not usually recover costs in the Small Claims Court. Wherever possible we fix our fees for each stage of the process, or at the very least cap them. The staged fees below are exclusive of VAT; court fees and third-party disbursements such as barristers' fees are quoted separately.

For debts between £5,000 and £10,000, and for complex or document-heavy matters, we agree fixed, capped or staged fees case by case and provide full costs details before work begins. Our general advice always stands: court action is a last resort, and resolving matters amicably saves money, time and stress — especially where costs are not fully recoverable even in success.

DEBTS FROM £2,000 TO £5,000

• Letter of claim: £150
• Chase-up letter: £30
• Any additional chase-up letter: £50
• Commencement of proceedings: £200
• Entry of default judgment: £50
• Reply to defence — simple matter: £150
• Reply to defence — complex matter: £250
• Capped fees up to and including trial: £800
• Enforcement: £100

DEBTS OVER £10,000

• Letter of claim: £200
• Chase-up letter: £30
• Any additional chase-up letter: £50
• Commencement of proceedings: £300
• Entry of default judgment: £70
• Reply to defence — simple matter: £150
• Reply to defence — complex matter: £250
• Capped fees up to and including trial: £950
• Enforcement: £150