The costs set out below apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, depending on how much more work is required.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

• For claims worth less than £10,000, you cannot recover legal fees from your debtor even if you are successful in the claim (although you can recover the court fee).
• The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
• The costs quoted above do not include enforcement action – such as the bailiff or bankruptcy – which may be needed to collect your debt.

Our fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation;
• Undertaking appropriate searches;
• Sending a letter before action;
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim;
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgment in default;
• When Judgment in default in received, writing to the other side to request payment;
• If payment is not received within 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.

Matters usually take 6 – 12 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim.  You are obliged to give 30 days’ notice of your intention to issue proceedings.  Once proceedings have been issued by the Court, you are obliged to give at least 14 days for a response.   The timescales are based on cases where no defence is received, the Court issues judgment promptly and the other side pays promptly on receipt of judgment in default. If the other side disputes the debt at any stage, or enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.