Business Debt Recovery
Quick and efficient debt recovery for your business
Are you fed up chasing and waiting for money you are owed?
Is the debt affecting your cash flow and causing problems for your business?
Would you prefer a fixed fee service to recover your debt/s?
Get back the money you’re owed
No one goes into business to spend their time chasing debts. You’ve completed your side of the bargain, but the payment date has passed and you’re still waiting!
It’s not just the unpleasantness of having to ask for the money. Or the time wasted on emails and telephone calls.
The shortfall damages cash flow affecting your ability to pay suppliers. This in turn piles stress on you and can have long-term consequences for you personally and your business.
There comes a point when enough is enough!
That’s when you need an experienced debt collection Solicitor in your corner.
Meet Lauren, our
Partner responsible for Commercial Debt Recovery
Lauren Lancaster
Partner and Head of Property and Litigation Services
34% of the UK’s SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises) choose to write off thousands of pounds of bad debt every year *
Taking legal action can feel like a big step
Nobody wants the costs or anxiety of turning to the legal system but when you’ve exhausted all other options, it may be the best course of action.
Taking the first steps in getting the process started can feel intimidating. But with the right help by your side, it’s not as difficult as it may seem.
To discuss your options, click on a link below.
The most common questions we’re asked about debt recovery for businesses
How long will it take?
You would be surprised by how many bad debts are paid immediately on receiving a ‘letter before action’ from a Solicitor.
Even if not immediately, debts can be settled soon after.
But if your case progresses to court, we will be dependent on the court process which could take 12-months or more to resolve.
Will I have to go to court?
Can I recover interest and costs?
How can I start the debt recovery process?
Lauren will listen to you, ask you some questions and lay out your initial options.
Legal Services to protect you
and your business
Business Disputes and Claims
Whether you are in an internal dispute with co-directors / shareholders or a contractual dispute with suppliers or customers we can help.
Employment Disputes
Protecting your interests with secure employment contracts and procedures, to settlement contracts and employer tribunal representation.
Commercial Property
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant negotiating terms, click on the link below to read how we can speed completion and reduce your risk.
Debt Recovery Fees
Debt Recovery – Business to Business – Undisputed debts up to £100,000
The below rates apply to claims in relation to unpaid invoices which have been provided to your customer and not been disputed, yet remain unpaid and is therefore being pursued as a debt. These debts do not fall under the pre-action protocol for debt claims and therefore will fall under the practice direction for pre-action conduct.
Stage 1 – Receiving your instructions, preparing and sending protocol letter before action – £100 plus VAT.
Stage 2 – If you instruct us to send any follow up correspondence or phone calls before issuing proceedings – £25 plus VAT each.
Stage 3 – If no payment is received following stage 1 (and, if instructed, stage 2), proceedings can be issued, and our fees and the relevant court fee will depend on the amount being claimed. This stage includes drafting the pleadings to include any interest, taking instructions, issuing the claim and updating you as to the position.
We provide a fixed fee arrangement for issuing claims on undisputed debts as follows:
Value of your claim Our fees Court fee
Up to £300.00 £300 + VAT £35.00
More than £300 but not more than £500 £300 + VAT £50.00
More than £500 but not more than £1000 £300 + VAT £70.00
More than £1,000 but not more than £1,500 £300 + VAT £80.00
More than £1,500 but not more than £3,000 £300 + VAT £115.00
More than £3,000 but not more than £5,000 £300 + VAT £205.00
More than £5,000 but not more than £10,000 £500 + VAT £455.00
More than £10,000 but not more than £100,000 £500 + VAT £5% of claim value
Stage 4 – Should the debtor not respond to the claim and a Judgment in default is entered, or should the debtor respond admitting the claim and making proposals for payment, we will take your instructions in relation to the same and provide any necessary response to the Court – £50 + VAT.
Depending on the value of the claim, some of the above fees may be recoverable from the debtor but the VAT charged on our fees will not be reclaimable.
The fees stated above are limited to:
Stage 1 – Considering your unpaid invoices and taking instructions on attempts made to recover the monies to date, drafting and sending the letter before action and updating you following response or lack of response.
Stage 2 – This is a discretionary stage and if instructed to do so we will make a chaser call or sending a chaser email to the debtor.
Stage 3 – Preparing the claim based on the letter of claim and issuing the claim at court, taking any payment, and updating you as to any response received from the debtor.
Stage 4 – After the relevant period of time we will update you as to whether a judgment in default can be entered and take your instructions. We will prepare any request for a judgment and provide you with the default judgment order once received.
The costs associated with stage 1 – 4 above do not include providing you with advice on your legal position or other options available to you, checking your calculations or reviewing all documentation (it will be assumed the figure to be claimed, which will be provided by you, is correct), attending any meeting to discuss the position, providing you with advice as to any disputed debts, negotiating with the debtor, advising on the debtor’s response or sending any pre-action correspondence to the debtor.
The above fees do not apply to undisputed claims over £100,00.00 or disputed claims of any value nor do they include the cost of any necessary enforcement action which would take place following the completion of stage 4.
We will be happy to provide you with independent bespoke advice for undisputed claims over £100,000.00 and disputed claims of any value as well as advice about your enforcement options as necessary. In addition, there are many other types of dispute which are more than simply debt recovery.
These can include building, neighbour and contract disputes, partnership, property ownership or any other dispute and we are unable to provide you with fixed fees relating to these matters as they vary so widely. Our fees for all these areas will be charged based on our hourly rates as follows:
Position Hourly Rate (plus VAT)
Directors and Senior Solicitors £350
Experienced Solicitors £275
Solicitors/Legal Executives £240
Trainee Solicitors, Paralegals and experienced clerks £195
Legal Assistants £110
Talk to Lauren about recovering your business debts
Debt Recovery Fees
Debt Recovery – Business to Individual – Undisputed debt with a value up to £100,000
The below rates apply to claims in relation to unpaid invoices which have not been disputed by the individual yet remain unpaid. The Pre-Action Protocol for debt claims will apply to any business claiming a debt from an individual (including a sole trader). This means that certain steps should be taken before any court proceedings are issued.
The below costs do not apply to business to business debts unless the debtor is a sole trader.
Stage 1 – Receiving your instructions, preparing and sending protocol letter before action – £100 plus VAT.
Stage 2 – If you instruct us to send any follow up correspondence or phone calls before issuing proceedings – £25 + VAT each.
Stage 3 – If no payment is received following stage 1 (and, if instructed, stage 2), proceedings can be issued, and our fees and the relevant court fee will depend on the amount being claimed.
This stage includes drafting the pleadings to include any interest, taking instructions, issuing the claim and updating you as to the position.
We provide a fixed fee arrangement for issuing claims on undisputed debts as follows:
Value of your claim Our fees Court fee
Up to £300.00 £200 + VAT £35
More than £300 but not more than £500 £200 + VAT £50
More than £500 but not more than £1000 £200 + VAT £70
More than £1,000 but not more than £1,500 £200 + VAT £80
More than £1,500 but not more than £3,000 £200 + VAT £115
More than £3,000 but not more than £5,000 £200 + VAT £205
More than £5,000 but not more than £10,000 £400 + VAT £455
More than £10,000 but not more than £100,000 £500 + VAT £5% of claim value
Stage 4 – Should the debtor not respond to the claim and a Judgment in default is entered, or should the debtor respond admitting the claim and making proposals for payment, we will take your instructions in relation to the same and provide any necessary response to the Court – £30 + VAT.
Depending on the value of the claim, some of the above fees may be recoverable from the debtor but the VAT charged on our fees will not be reclaimable.
The fees stated above are limited to:
Stage 1 – Considering your unpaid invoices and taking instructions on attempts made to recover the monies to date, drafting and sending the letter before action and updating you following response or lack of response.
Stage 2 – This is a discretionary stage and if instructed to do so we will make a chaser call or sending a chaser email to the debtor.
Stage 3 – preparing the claim based on the letter of claim and issuing the claim at court, taking any payment, and updating you as to any response received from the debtor.
Stage 4 – After the relevant period of time we will update you as to whether a judgment in default can be entered and take your instructions. We will prepare any request for a judgment and provide you with the default judgment order once received.
The costs associated with stage 1 – 4 above do not include providing you with advice on your legal position or other options available to you, checking your calculations or reviewing all documentation (it will be assumed the figure to be claimed, which will be provided by you, is correct), attending any meeting to discuss the position, providing you with advice as to any disputed debts, negotiating with the debtor, advising on the debtor’s response or sending any pre-action correspondence to the debtor.
The above fees do not apply to undisputed claims over £100,00.00 or disputed claims of any value nor do they include the cost of any necessary enforcement action which would take place following the completion of stage 4.
We will be happy to provide you with independent bespoke advice for undisputed claims over £100,000.00 and disputed claims of any value as well as advice about your enforcement options as necessary.
In addition, there are many other types of disputes which are more than simply debt recovery.
These can include building, neighbour and contract disputes, partnership, property ownership or any other dispute and we are unable to provide you with fixed fees relating to these matters as they vary so widely.
Our fees for all these areas will be charged based on our hourly rates as follows:
Position Hourly Rate (plus VAT)
Directors and Senior Solicitors £300
Experienced Solicitors £260
Solicitors/Legal Executives £225
Trainee Solicitors, Paralegals and experienced clerks £175
Legal Assistants £100
Your Commercial Debt Collection team at Tierneys Solicitors
Lauren Lancaster
Partner / Head of Litigation & Property
Joined Tierneys in 2011
Russel Raslan
Solicitor
Joined Tierneys in 2023
Adele Dowdall
Legal Assistant
Joined Tierneys in 2006
Emma Field
Legal Assistant
Joined Tierneys in 2019
How Tierneys Solicitors can help
It doesn’t matter if you have one outstanding debt or a folder full of overdue invoices. Lauren and her team have a track record of recovering debts, quickly and cost-effectively for your businesses.