Debt Recovery
Our team has over 45 years’ collective debt recovery experience, pursuing individual and commercial debtors who have failed to pay our client’s invoices in full and on time. The team has particular experience working with professional service firms to recover unpaid fees.
What we will do for you
The Debt Recovery team provides the following services on a fixed fee basis:
- drafting and sending letters before action
- issuing claims in the County Court
- seeking Default Judgments
- enforcing Judgments
In addition to these services, the Debt Recovery team also undertakes insolvency work for creditors, including the preparation and service of Statutory Demands and Bankruptcy/Winding Up Petitions. The fees charged for these services are calculated on a blended hourly rate of £212.30 plus VAT (£254.76) per hour. Additional expenses (also called disbursements) may also be incurred, such as Court fees, Official Receivers Deposit, process server’s fees etc.
Our Debt Recovery team does not deal with non-invoice claims or claims that become defended. Where a claim becomes defended, it will be passed to our Dispute Resolution lawyers who will agree a fees estimate with our clients, usually based on their hourly rates which currently range between £137.50 plus VAT (£165) and £399.30 plus VAT (£479.16) depending on the experience and expertise of our lawyers.
Our team
The Debt Recovery team sits within the Commercial Dispute Resolution department which is headed up by Simon Elcock, Head of Regional Dispute Resolution, so allowing a seamless transition into our commercial contentious team for our clients where matters become defended, which will happen from time to time. Oliver Jackson, a Partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution department, supervises the Debt Recovery team and the work it undertakes day to day.
You can meet the team here.
How long will it take?
The Debt Recovery team aims to action instructions within 2-3 business days.
Unless it is necessary to issue Court proceedings, we estimate that matters will usually take between 2-6 weeks from receipt of instructions to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether the debtor is an individual or not and provided payment is received promptly.
If Court proceedings are issued and it is possible to obtain Judgment in default (because no acknowledgment of service is filed or because no defence has been filed), then we would estimate that matters will usually take 10-14 weeks from receipt of instructions to receipt of payment, depending on whether the debtor is an individual or not, provided payment is received promptly and no enforcement action is necessary.
How much will it cost?
The following table sets out the fixed fee services offered by our Debt Recovery team. In all cases, our fixed fees include:
- taking our clients’ instructions
- receiving payment and sending it on to our clients
- where payment is not received, providing our clients with advice on next steps
| PREACTION |
| Confirming status of Defendant business and registered office |
Price based on volume |
| Letter before action |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
| ISSUING COURT PROCEEDINGS |
Where we recover costs in full before Judgment |
| DEBT (including any interest and compensation) |
OUR COSTS |
COURT FEE
(ISSUED ON- LINE) |
COURT FEE (ISSUED POST) |
OUR CLIENT RECOVERS |
| <£300 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£25 |
£35 |
£50 + Court Fee |
| £301-500 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£35 |
£50 |
£50+ Court Fee |
| £501-1,000 |
£70 + VAT (£84) |
£60 |
£70 |
£70 + Court Fee |
| £1,001-1,500 |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
£70 |
£80 |
£80 + Court Fee |
| £1,501-3,000 |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
£105 |
£115 |
£80 + Court Fee |
| £3,001-5,000 |
£150 + VAT (£180) |
£185 |
£205 |
£80 + Court Fee |
| £5,001-10,000 |
£200 + VAT (£240) |
£410 |
£455 |
£100 + Court Fee |
| £10,001-100,000 |
£300 + VAT (£360) |
4.5% value of claim |
5% value of claim |
£100 + Court Fee |
| £100,001-200,000 |
£400 + VAT (£480) |
N/A |
5% value of claim |
£100 + Court Fee |
| £200,001+ |
£500 + VAT (£600) |
N/A |
£10,000 |
£100 + Court Fee |
| For additional time recorded corresponding with the debtor and our client, in an undisputed case, our client will be charged at £193 plus VAT (£231.60) per hour. |
| JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR DEFENCE |
Where payment is voluntarily paid in full after Judgment |
| DEBT (including any interest and compensation) |
OUR COSTS |
COURT FEE |
OUR CLIENT RECOVERS |
| <£5,000 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£0 |
£22 |
| £5,001+ |
£75 + VAT (£90) |
£0 |
£30 |
| ENFORCEMENT (after Judgment) |
|
| Warrant |
Where payment is received in full after Judgment |
| DEBT (including any interest and compensation) |
OUR COSTS |
COURT FEE |
OUR CLIENT RECOVERS |
| <£600 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£119 |
£119 |
| £601+ |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
£71 |
£112.75 |
For additional time recorded corresponding with the debtor and our client, in an undisputed case, our client will be charged at £193 plus VAT (£231.60) per hour.
In the event of an unsuccessful execution, there is also an abortive HCEO fee of £75 plus VAT (£90) per address visited. |
| OTHER METHODS OF ENFORCEMENT |
OUR COSTS |
COURT FEE
(High or County Court)
|
Charging Order up to and including first hearding
(excluding disbursements and agent to attend hearing |
£800 + VAT (£960) |
£119 |
| Attachment of Earnings |
£350 + VAT (£420) |
£119 |
Third Party Debt Order up to and including first hearing
(exluding disburesements and agent to attend hearing) |
£600 + VAT (£720) |
£119 |
| Applications to Obtain Information |
£400 + VAT (£480) |
£59 |
For additional time recorded corresponding with the debtor and our client, in an undisputed case, our client will be
charged at £193 plus VAT (£231.60) per hour. |
Please click here for a downloadable PDF of our pricing on debt recovery.