Don’t let unpaid invoices disrupt your business. Protect your reputation and resolve financial disputes with help from our Debt Recovery specialists.
Discuss your situation with our Debt Recovery specialists – get in touch or call 0191 5666 500 for advice with no-obligation to start a case.
Cash is the lifeblood of any business. And we understand that late payments can place unnecessary strain on your finances and relationships.
If late payments are harming your business, our vastly-experienced commercial litigation can use effective and affordable debt recovery solutions to help recover arrears on your behalf.
No matter what sector you operate in, we can advise SME owners and major organisations to ensure you get paid in a timely fashion.
Experienced Debt Recovery Specialists
If you’d like to benefit from our Debt Recovery expertise, we’d love to help protect your finances and reputation.
From our head office in Sunderland, we represent people from the North of England and across the UK, many of whom have been referred by previously successful clients.
No matter what the nature of your situation may be, we can advise on various options, including Letters Before Action, court proceedings and insolvency measures.
We will work closely with you at every stage to keep you updated about progress and costs, so you are always fully informed about the most appropriate recovery strategies and implementation.
Arrange a free consultation with our Debt Recovery specialists – get in touch or call 0191 5666500 today!
Our Affordable Fixed Costs Service
Where the dispute involves an uncontested invoice, and where we can secure payment quickly, we offer an affordable Fixed Cost service.
If the invoice becomes contested, our experts will advise you about all your options and give you a likely cost estimate of the work involved to resolve the dispute.
Whether the debt is owed by an individual or a business, we will fix our costs according to the value of the debt.
Our current Fixed Costs Service is priced as follows:
- Up to £10,000.00: £100.00 plus VAT
- £10,000.01 to £50,000.00: £150.00 plus VAT
- £50,000.01 to £100,000.00: £250.00 plus VAT
- £100,000.01 to £150,000.00: £300.00 plus VAT
- £150,000.1 to £250,000.00: £400.00 plus VAT
Where a debt is worth more than £250,000.00 we will need to agree a bespoke fixed cost before undertaking any work.
Expert Debt Recovery Advice & Guidance
How We Help
To assist in the recovery of unpaid debts, we can offer a variety of options. Depending on whether the debt is owed by an individual or another business, there are Pre-Action Protocols governing the steps which must be taken when seeking to recover the debt.
Individual Debtors
Where the debt is owed by an individual, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims applies. The Pre-Action Protocol requires you to take various steps and provide prescribed information in a Letter Before Action to recover the debt.
The debtor has 30 days from the date of service of the Letter Before Action to pay. If the debtor does not pay within that time, you will be entitled to commence court proceedings.
Business Debtors
When the debt exists between two businesses, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims is not applicable. Instead, the Practice Direction in relation to Pre-Action Conduct applies, but it is less prescriptive than the Protocol applicable to individual debtors and the debtor must respond within a reasonable time, usually 14 days.
Responding to a Debt Claim
If you admit that the debt is due and payable, we will agree a fixed price with you prior to commencing work in accordance with the Fixed Costs outlined above.
If you dispute the debt is payable, this falls outside of our Fixed Costs service and we will advise you about your options, and the likely Costs, separately.
Statutory Demand
Statutory Demands should not strictly be used as a means of debt recovery. These are used when there are concerns as to the debtor’s ability to pay. They should not be used in relation to contested debts.
If the debt is contested, or where there are no grounds for suspecting insolvency, there is a risk that the debtor will apply to the court to set aside the Statutory Demand and seek Costs if successful.
We will advise you as to whether we think a Statutory Demand is appropriate.
If a Statutory Demand is deemed appropriate, we will fix our Costs of preparing a statutory demand at £200.00 + VAT.
Statutory Demands require personal service. We will recommend process servers who typically charge in the region all £120 + VAT, but this will be charged on a case-by-case basis.
If the debtor contests the debt, responding to the dispute falls outside of our Fixed Costs service. If that situation arises, we will advise you as to the likely costs involved.
Winding Up & Bankruptcy Petitions
If a debt remains unpaid after the service of a Statutory Demand, you may be entitled to serve a Winding Up or a Bankruptcy Petition. We will fix the cost of preparing the Petition, whichever is applicable, in the sum of £250.00 + VAT.
The debtor might apply to the court for an injunction to restrain the presentation and/or advertisement of the Petition. If that happens, the cost of dealing with that application will fall outside of our Fixed Costs (above) and our commercial litigation department will advise you as to your options, and the estimated costs involved.
If a Petition is served, there are court fees and fees in relation to the Official Receiver which are payable. We will advise you of those fees when considering the Statutory Demand and Petition as an option. Those fees are payable in addition to our fixed costs.
Negotiated Settlements
On the service of a Letter Before Action, Statutory Demand or a Petition; the debtor may seek to engage in negotiations. If that happens, the negotiation will fall outside of our Fixed Costs service and we will advise as to the likely cost of negotiating a settlement separately.
Court Proceedings
If the debt remains unpaid or is contested, it may be necessary to issue court proceedings. If that happens, this is a contested debt claim and falls outside all of our Fixed Costs service. Our experienced commercial litigation team will advise you as to the litigation process and the likely costs involved, should that situation arise.
If you are defending a debt claim on the basis the debt is disputed, this would fall outside of our Fixed Costs service (outlined above). At this stage, our commercial litigation team will advise you about all your options and likely costs.
