Thank you for looking at our Debt Recovery services. Debts can arise in all walks of life and we regularly advise and assist businesses and individuals alike.
The bulk of our debt recovery instructions come from businesses across various sectors. With many years of experience and strong expertise in litigation both in and out of court, our debt recovery service is fast, efficient and economical.
Why Us
We have an experienced team who can assist you with recovering both disputed and undisputed debts. This page covers our pricing for undisputed debt recovery – please get in touch to find out more about our fee structure for pursuing disputed debts. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer care skills enabling you to send out the right message and retain the goodwill of your customers whilst recovering outstanding payments.
We can offer you clear, practical advice and will discuss all the options available to establish the most appropriate way of dealing with debtors. We have tried and tested processes in place to ensure we can recover undisputed debts quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, with transparent fixed fees.
We are proud to hold Lexcel Accreditation, issued by the Law Society. This involves the firm undergoing a rigorous audit process which ensures we maintain high levels of client care.
Pricing
We appreciate that the fees involved in debt recovery are important to you. We review our fees on a regular basis, considering client’s feedback, to ensure we continue to offer a cost-effective debt recovery service.
We typically work on a fixed fee basis, so that from the outset you know what the fees will be for your transaction. These costs apply for unpaid and undisputed payment of invoice(s). If during the debt recovery process, the matter becomes disputed or enforcement action is required (where you need to appoint a bailiff), we will discuss the change in fees with you and agree a way forward.
When claiming costs from the debtor, it is important to note that the VAT element of any fees cannot be claimed. You can claim interest and compensation and we will advise you of the applicable rates.
Whether your claim relates to unpaid invoices from a company or sole trader we will send them a letter before action. Our fixed fee for this first letter is £250 plus VAT*, and we are pleased to keep this fixed regardless of whether this relates to a single outstanding invoice or many.
If it becomes necessary to proceed with a Claim then the following fees apply. Please not that the Court operate a sliding scale for the Issue Fee, which is based entirely on the value of the potential claim, inclusive of any interest you may be entitled to.
Debt Value | Court Fee | Our Fee (excl. VAT) | Total Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Up to £5,000 | £35 - £205 | £225 | £215 - £385 |
£5,001 - £10,000 | £455 | £225 | £635 |
£10,001 - £200,000 | 5 % value of claim | Depends on case | Call us for |
Over £200,000 | £10,000 | Depends on case | Call us for |
Once the Court has issued and served the Claim upon the defendant they will have 14 days in which to file a defence or acknowledgement of service. As soon as this 14 day period has expired we will make a request for judgment in default, and we would expect the Court to enter judgement within 10-14 days of this request. Our fee for applying for judgment in default is fixed at £112.50 plus VAT* for all cases, however this only applies to claims below £10,000.
Exclusions
Our fees are fixed and include items detailed above, however there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.
Factors that may lead to an increase in cost include:
- Enforcement proceedings
- Instructing a Bailiff
Time Scales
A typical debt recovery Claim will take between 8-12 weeks, from instruction through to payment from the other side, if the debtor doesn’t defend the claim and enforcement isn’t necessary. This may be quicker or longer depending on whether we are required to issue a claim and whether the other side pay promptly on receipt of any judgment issued by a court. As detailed above, if enforcement action is required, or if the debt is disputed and a Court hearing becomes necessary we will discuss the fees and timescales involved as these can vary on a case-by-case basis.
Key Milestones
With every transaction there are key milestones, which may vary according to individual circumstances. Our fee will include these milestones and may be as follows:
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
- Undertaking appropriate searches
- Issuing a letter before action requesting payment from the debtor
- Receiving payment and sending this on to you
- Drafting and issuing a claim form to the relevant court if the debt is not paid
- Applying to the court to enter a Judgment in Default if the debtor fails to respond to court proceedings
- Contacting the other side to request payment where a Judgment in Default has been issued by the court
*VAT, currently at 20% is added to our fees