Range of fixed fees for small businesses claiming a business debt that is undisputed


Court Claims

These costs 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, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

   Debt Value
  Our Fee            (Plus VAT)
  Total
   Up to £5,000
  £600                (£120 VAT)  £720
   £5,001 - £10,000  £750                (£150 VAT)    £900
   £10,001 - £50,000
  £1,500             (£300 VAT)  £1,800


Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:
  • Court fees are not included in the above quotation.  A list of Court fees in civil claims (Form EX50) can be found on https://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/FormFinder.do
  • If a company search is required, the fee for this disbursement is £50 plus VAT.
  • The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
  • Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
  • The costs quoted above only apply where the debtor is a limited company or a firm (partnership), not an individual.  If the debtor is an individual, please contact us for a quotation.
  • The costs quoted above are not for matters which are disputed and where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
Our fee includes:
  • Taking your instructions and reviewing limited documentation
  • Sending a letter before action
  • Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing a claim form
  • Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgment in default
  • When Judgment in default is received, writing to the other side to request payment
  • If payment is not received within X days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
Our fee does not include:
  • Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees and company search fees.

Letters before action sent to companies in the U.K. usually require the debtor to pay within 14 days.  If the debt is not paid within this time, subject to your instructions, we will start legal proceedings to recover your money.  We may request clarification or further evidence if not already sent in order to draft the Claim Form.  It is advisable to undertake a company search prior to issuing court proceedings to try to establish if the company is likely to still be solvent and to have the means to pay.

Once court proceedings have been issued, the court will send a copy of the claim to the debtor by first class post.   A debtor has 14 days from the date of service in which to file a defence or acknowledgement of service.  After the 14 day period has expired, we can apply to the court to enter Judgment in default provided that the debtor has not filed an acknowledgement or a defence.  It usually takes the court about 10 working days to enter judgment following receipt of a request to enter judgment but it does depend on the court.  Once judgment has been obtained, we will write to the debtor to request payment.  If the debtor does not pay, we will advise you on enforcement action and the likely cost involved.

Your matter will be dealt with by our litigation solicitor, Mrs Rakhi Kotecha, who has several years experience of dealing with debt claims.  Please refer to her profile on our website for details of her experience.