Debt Recovery (up to £100,000)
How much does it cost to recover unpaid debt?
This brief guide provides a breakdown of the costs and fees associated with the services that we provide at each stage of the debt recovery process, in line with our commitment to complete transparency.
Stage 1 – Pre-action
The initial pre-action stage is charged on a fixed fee basis of £250.00+VAT.
We ask that you provide us with the documentation in respect of your claim, which would include:-
- Copies on the Contract/Agreement/Terms entered into with the Debtor; and
- Copies of the unpaid invoice(s) issued to the Debtor and any other supporting documents.
Upon receipt we will draft a pre-action protocol compliant Letter Before Claim to be sent to the Debtor.
If no response is received within 21 days we will send a further letter to the Debtor reminding them of the deadline in the Letter Before Claim and the consequences of legal proceedings against them should the debt remain unpaid.
We will attempt to speak with the Debtor and resolve the issue before issuing Court proceedings.
Stage 2 – Court Proceedings
Court proceedings will be commenced following the drafting of Claim Form and Particulars of Claim which will detail the information provided to us in the Contract, invoices and any correspondence we have been provided with.
We will ask for payment on account and also an amount to cover the Court fee which is dependent upon the amount of the Claim, with the rates being found in the HM Courts & Tribunals Service issued booklet titled “EX50: Civil and Family Court Fees”. This document may be found by clicking here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50
When the Claim has been issued we will receive a Notice of Issue which will state the date the Debtor has to reply (14 days from the deemed date of service). If no reply is received Judgement can be requested.
If a Defence and/or Counterclaim is filed then we can assist in the preparation of a Reply.
All costs in relation to the Court proceedings are charged at an hourly rate of between £218+VAT and £261+VAT (depending on the grade of fee earner conducting the work – in accordance with published Government Guidelines).
Stage 3 – Enforcement
If you have been successful in your Claim and have obtained Judgement against the Debtor then we can assist by recovering the debt or securing it by way of a Charge. We can assist you in instructing the High Court or County Court Bailiffs, applying for a Charging Order, Attachment of Earnings Order, Third Party Debt Order or an Order to Obtain Information for the Debtor.
Our charges in relation to this work will again be between the hourly rate of £218.00+VAT and £261+VAT (depending on the grade of fee earner conducting the work – in accordance with published Government Guidelines). Court fees can be found in the link above.
Who will deal with your case?
Your case will be handled by our Debt Recovery Team based at our Rochester Office. All of our solicitors have extensive experience in all apsects of Debt Recovery.
For expert advice please call our Debt Recovery Team on 01634 400161
or email at: info.roch@bassetssolicitors.co.uk
Bassets Solicitors – Services for the Individual – Medway, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, Gravesend, Dartford, Sittingbourne and Maidstone