Debt Recovery

Please note this page is out of date and has not been updated since January 2020. 

 

https://youtu.be/FUqefXY6bmo

• Debt Collection
• 7-Day Letters
• Letters before action
• Unpaid invoices
• Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Recovery
• Small Claims

Debt Recovery Solicitors in Leicester

I’m Steven Mather and I’m an expert in Debt Collection. Since I qualified as a solicitor in 2008, I have dealt with hundreds of debt recovery matters and every time we strive to provide:

• Plain English Advice
• Results – we are driven to get the best possible result for you
• Speed – we act quickly on instructions to get the debt paid fast
• Value – fixed fees, pay when paid by your debtor
• Convenience – online, email and meetings by phone, video call or in person at a time to suit you.

What is Debt Recovery?

Getting Paid. Well, at least that’s how I do it.

For any business, cash is king. Ensuring cashflow means ensuring that invoices are raised promptly to your customer and that you get them to pay quickly too.

Where a customer hasn’t paid, your options are to continue pressing yourself for payment or you can instruct me as your Debt Collection Solicitor to recover your debt for you.

I start by writing a formal 7-day solicitors letter to them, informing the debtor that I am instructed (through National Law Firm, Nexa Law) and demanding payment.

If payment is not received, then I will look to issue County Court Proceedings (subject to your instructions to do so).

Why use me as your Debt Recovery Solicitor Leicester?

Steven Mather is a very experienced litigation solicitor. I have dealt with possibly thousands of debt matters. I have acted for clients with one niggling debt, to clients with large scale debt collection requirements with 100’s of debtors.

For me, it’s about getting your invoice paid as quickly as possible, with the lowest cost possible to you.

I can help you from start to finish. General steps in a debt recovery process include:

• 7 Day Letter
• Calculating Compensation and Interest Due
• Issuing a claim via Money Claims Online (MCOL)
• Occasionally, it may be via a Statutory Demand and Winding Up Petition
• Getting you paid.
• Enforcement of a CCJ if the invoice remains unpaid
• Instructing Bailiffs, High Court Enforcement Officers, Third Party Debt Orders etc

How quick is our Debt Recovery?

I will issue a 7 day letter before action solicitors letter usually within 24 hours of instructions.

This gives the debtor 7 days to pay, allowing 2 days for the letter to be posted.

If your debt remains unpaid after 10 days, I will issue proceedings. I aim to do this within the following 7 days. The Court can take up to 2 weeks to issue a Claim, but it is usually done within a few days and sent to your debtor by the Court directly. The Debtor has 14 days to file a Defence or Acknowledgement of Service. The deadline for filing a defence can be extended by the Debtor for a further 14 days if they request more time. If a Defence is filed, your matter will become a disputed claim and fall outside of the debt recovery process and costs.

If the claim is not disputed, Judgement will be requested and thereafter enforcement of the County Court Judgement (CCJ) as soon as possible. I will explain your options at that time.

Usually, I find that in around 80% of the cases, the debt is paid following our initial 7-day letter.

Recent examples of debt recovery

Here’s a sample of the kinds of breach of contract disputes I’ve dealt with recently:

• Debt for £1,500 owed to an accountant
• Debt for £3,000 owed to a Computer Services firm
• Debt for £35,000 for an insolvent company (acting by its liquidators)
• Debt collection for a large sports club in respect of corporate hospitality
• Book debt collection of over 50 debtors, for liquidators
• Debt collection processes for wholesaler of footwear with over 100 customers
• Too many to mention…

How much does Debt Recovery cost?

Typically, I charge between 1-10% of the claim value, plus VAT for an initial letter before action. 

If the matter needed to go to Court, then I would give you a fixed fee which would depend on the value of the claim, but a similar percentage to the above. You’d also have to pay Court fees, which vary but are roughly 5% of the claim value. 

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

• For claims under £10,000, it is unlikely that you will recover the Legal Fees.
• The VAT element of our fee cannot usually be reclaimed from your debtor.
• Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
• The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.

The fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgement of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default in received, writing to the other side to request payment

Please note, if the Debt Claim is defended by your debtor, it will become a disputed claim and the matter will no longer be considered a debt matter, and the usual contract disputes costs will apply.

Next Steps

If you’re unsure on the question of fees, or on any aspect of debt collection then speak to me a proven debt recovery solicitor Steven Mather.

Just fill in the form on the side of this page, or give me a call to discuss further.