Debt Recovery
Stage 1 – Letter of claim
Letter of claim in accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for debts under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).
A standard debt recovery claim is usually a straightforward (and unlikely to be contested) claim for an unpaid invoice for goods or services.
Standard letter of claim: £250-£500 plus vat.
If the debt isn’t necessarily straightforward and not based on an unpaid invoice for goods and services a bespoke letter of claim tailored to your particular matter and facts may be required and will be charged at hourly rates *.
Stage 2 – Court proceedings
If the letter of claim doesn’t result in the invoice being paid, Court proceedings may be needed.
| Amount of debt | Court fee (in addition to our costs) | Fixed legal costs |
| Up to £5,000
| Between £35 and £205
| £350 plus vat
|
| Up to £10,000
| £455
| £500 plus vat
|
| £10,001 – £99,999
| 5% of the value of the debt
| Hourly rates will apply
|
| £100,000 – £199,999
| 5% of the value of the debt
| Hourly rates will apply
|
| £200,000 +
| £10,000
| Hourly rates will apply
|
Defended claims
If, after issuing Court proceedings, the debt isn’t paid and is disputed by the Defendant (the debtor) we will charge for defended matters on the basis of hourly rates and will provide you with an updated costs estimate at this stage.
Stage 3 – Enforcement
If the Defendant doesn’t respond Judgment in default can be obtained. Alternatively, if there is a trial or hearing and the Defendant is ordered to pay the debt it may be necessary to enforce the Judgment. We will discuss the methods of enforcement with you but typically these methods may include the following:
Charging order
| Preparing charging order application | £500 plus vat |
| Court fee | £119 |
| HMLR office copy entry | £3 each |
| Land registry fee | £20 |
| Hearing of application (Luton and Milton Keynes County Court only)* | £500 plus vat |
Bankruptcy petition
| Drafting statutory demand | £500 plus vat |
| Drafting bankruptcy petition | £1500 plus vat |
| Court fee | £302 |
| Official receiver’s deposit | £1500 |
Winding up petition
| Drafting winding up petition | £1750 plus vat |
| Court fee | £302 |
| Official receiver’s deposit | £2600 |
The fees for bankruptcy and winding up do not include agents’ fees, process server fees, advertising fees (in the London Gazette) and advocacy fees
*Hourly rates
| Name | Year of qualification | Hourly rate |
| Sukh Saini | 2000 | £325 plus vat |
| Robert Males | 1989 | £300 plus vat |
| Deborah Saini | 2004 | £285 plus vat |
| Oliver Richbell | 2007 | £285 plus vat |
| Matt Colfer | n/a legal assistant | £175 plus vat |
*Court hearings – additional travelling charges and expenses apply to hearings at other Courts
Anti-money laundering checks
We charge a fee of £12.50 plus vat per person to undertake Anti-Money Laundering checks.
Notes
1. A payment on account of our costs, Court fees and disbursements is required before work is commenced.
2. In the event that a debt matter is disputed or defended then it will no longer be dealt with under our fixed fee structure.
3. We cannot guarantee payment of the debt by the Defendant although we endeavour to achieve a successful outcome.