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Debt Recovery

Recover Unpaid Debts & Resolve Payment Disputes

Our lawyers offer fast & affordable debt recovery solutions. We have a success rate of 95% with most matters resolving in a few months, and our lawyers have been described as among “the best litigators in the country“.

How can we help?

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Up to 50% cheaper than other city firms

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Expert Debt Recovery Lawyers in London with 95% success rate

We help individuals and businesses with unpaid and disputed invoices. We understand that unpaid debts and payment disputes can affect your cash flow and create uncertainty for you and your business (and staff).

Our lawyers and specialist mediators have a high success rate of around 95% in successfully settling claims for clients, and most are resolved within a few months of our instruction due to our proactive and unique approach to litigation.

We will work collaboratively with you to agree on a strategy at the outset to resolve your debt issue. We specialise in secured and unsecured debts, guarantee and indemnity claims, book debt collections, rent arrears and/or service charges. We also provide practical advice to help you recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you, and make sure debt issues are minimised in the future.

We also provide a free initial case review and business health check to establish how we can help your business get your bills paid. If you have any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide you with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly.

Our lawyers have acted for various clients in recovering debts within the jurisdiction. We are experts in our approach to getting debts paid quickly and resolving disputes between parties. 

If you have a debt dispute in the UK, please do not hesitate to contact us for a Free Consultation today to discuss how we can assist you.

Our lawyers have acted for clients in various cross-border and international debt recovery matters. We have a network of asset tracers globally to investigate the assets of an individual or business to inform the strategy to recover your debt. 

Our lawyers have extensive knowledge of international agreements and treaties to assist in recognising judgments and debt internationally.

If you are based abroad or wish to pursue an individual or business outside of the UK, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for a Free Consultation.

Asset tracing and due diligence at the outset can be very important to navigate the strategy of pursuing the debtor and protecting your interests against an asset at the outset.

Our lawyers have an extensive knowledge base and network of asset tracers and tools which we utilise to inform the strategy on your case from the very outset. We will use these tools to assist in resolving your debt dispute quickly and cost-effectively.

Many of our asset tracers work with our clients at discounted rates, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for a Free Consultation.

Specifically, our debt recovery and insolvency lawyers provide the following services:

Case Example – £2m+ recovered in 1 month

Our lawyers regularly act for individuals and businesses to recover and dispute unpaid debts. Our lawyers were instructed by one such client within the construction industry that had several payment applications totalling over £2m outstanding for some time.

Given our unique approach to litigation, we quickly recovered the payment applications in full (plus 100% of our legal costs and interest) within 1 month of being instructed.

Our lawyers were so thorough and forward thinking that the debtor was impressed and wanted to instruct our lawyers on other unrelated matters. Our lawyers have garnered a lot of praise from the opponent for our unique approach which strengthens our client’s positions.

Winning Approach to Debt Recovery

Our lawyers’ extensive industry-specific knowledge and our commitment to justice make us the preferred choice for many clients seeking to resolve unpaid debts.

Our lawyers are recognised among the best lawyers in England & Wales, and have regularly been asked and featured to write authoritative articles in the Financial Times, the Law Society and LexisNexis and have been quoted in City AM, the New Law Journal, Law Society Gazette and Litigation Futures. Our unique approach means that we will:

  • Arrange a Free Consultation with you & a qualified lawyer to discuss your debt concern
  • Arrange a WhatsApp group with you & your legal team in case you have any ad-hoc questions
  • Investigate the merits of your debt issue & devise a strategy for success at the outset
  • Analyse Credit Safe and other legal platforms to inform our strategy for your payment dispute
  • Advise you on any judgments & tactics that have proved successful on other debt disputes (incl. cases vs the debtor)
  • Arrange for asset tracers to be instructed at discounted fees to investigate any security of assets to inform approach on enforcement
  • Free sign-up to our Insolvency Tracker & Claims Protection service (worth £200 pa)
  • Fixed fees & “no win no fee” funding options
  • Work hard to achieve the best outcome
 

Our lawyers offer regulated, independent & confidential legal advice and are dedicated members of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association, the London Solicitors’ Litigation Association, the Association of Cost Lawyers, the Insolvency Lawyers Association and the Commercial Litigation Association.

Mediation in Debt Disputes

Alternative dispute resolution, where suitable, provides many advantages for parties in legal disputes. Our lawyers are strong advocates for mediation which can often lead to favourable settlements.

Several of our lawyers are trained mediators and expert negotiators who are registered members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the International Mediation Institute. Our expertise in mediation gives our lawyers a significant and unique advantage when navigating settlement discussions on your behalf.

Fixed Fees & Flexible Funding Options

We provide flexible funding options including fixed fees and ‘no win no fee’ arrangements for your payment dispute.

Whether you are an individual or a business, we provide exceptional legal services at cost-effective prices: this is our promise.

To book a Free Consultation with our expert debt recovery lawyers, you can call us on 0207 459 4037 or you can use our booking form below.

Choose Excellence in Dispute Resolution

Our Mission

Our litigation solicitors have a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes for clients. Go Legal was founded to make exceptional lawyers accessible and solutions affordable.

Our lawyers and mediators have decades of experience and specialise exclusively in commercial litigation. Our lawyers have been described as “the best litigators in the country” & provide solutions to clients in the following areas of law:

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Karim Oualnan

Partner and Managing Director

Litigation Lawyer of the Year - Karim Oualnan

Our Story

Having worked more than a decade in law and fuelled by his passion for access to justice, Karim envisaged a different law firm – one that stood as a symbol of hope, fairness, and an unwavering dedication to justice. By providing legal services through a partnership with Go Legal and Spencer West, Karim has been able to create this vision.

Karim did not have a storybook beginning. His childhood echoed with challenges, where he witnessed his family and friends struggle with legal issues. It made him realise that there are individuals and businesses caught up in the complexities of the UK legal system who need reliable, affordable and technically astute lawyers to get results.

Our lawyers make a promise – we will work hard to achieve the best outcome for you. We are here to help!

Our Values

Our firm’s values ensure that we consistently exceed client expectations. We are:

  • Honest: Our lawyers are trusted by many clients
  • Generous: We are technically astute lawyers with compassion, & a genuine desire to help
  • Dedication: Our lawyers tackle each case with relentless dedication & work tirelessly to achieve a successful outcome
  • Innovative: We have access to technology & strategies not used by other law firms
  • Guardians: Our lawyers will guide you through every legal step, ensuring clarity & understanding at all stages

200+

Lawyers*

95%+

Success

20

Offices*

*through our exclusive partnership with Spencer West LLP

Our lawyers are regulated and members of:

Why instruct Go Legal

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Expertise

Our team of award-winning legal experts are renowned for their technical expertise, honesty and dependability. We prioritise customer satisfaction by providing personalised attention and ensuring that we consistently exceed our clients' expectations throughout.

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Rapid Response​

We understand the urgency of legal matters and offer 24/7 support to clients. Whether you require immediate assistance with legal advice or representation, our team is always available to provide prompt and reliable support. We will create a Whatsapp group with you and your legal team once instructed if you have any out of hours questions throughout your litigation and dispute resolution case.

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Fair and Transparent pricing

We provide honest estimates for our legal services at the very outset. We are often instructed on an hourly rate basis, but we can offer discounted fixed fee packages, and no-win no fee agreements. For further information, please see our Funding page which sets out some of the packages we may be able to offer clients.

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Fast & Reliable

Efficiency and dedication to our clients’ needs are the cornerstones of our practice. We have earned the appreciation and praise of clients and even our opponents by consistently meeting high standards and delivering exceptional results.

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Qualified and Regulated

Our team consists of highly qualified and regulated legal professionals who possess extensive knowledge and experience in dispute resolution. You can trust that your legal matter will be handled by specialist and experienced lawyers who provide the highest level of service to achieve the best result for your case.

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Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

We are so confident in our ability that we give our clients a service level guarantee. If you are not happy with the service we provide on your case, you can request a 10% discount on our invoice(s) no questions asked.

Free Debt Recovery Assessment

Complete the short 2-minute questionnaire below to receive a tailored report to your email, summarising the assessment and providing further guidance on your debt recovery money claim.

Disclaimer: Please note that this questionnaire is for initial assessment purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information provided in this questionnaire will be used solely for evaluating the potential of your debt issue. By submitting this form, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. Please complete the details below to receive an email with your assessment results.

Contact Information:

Fixed Fee Packages

Our Debt Recovery funding solutions have been designed by our lawyers to alleviate the financial burden and enable you to focus on seeking the justice and resolution you deserve.

Consultation & Strategy

This package includes:
  • Considering your case papers in advance of a conference
  • Detailed investigation & due diligence of your debt recovery claim
  • Business Health Check of all your bad debts
  • Up to 2 hour consultation with our debt recovery lawyers
  • Letter of advice setting out merits of your debt recovery claim and the next steps (and strategy) to optimise the amount you recover

Case Preparation

This package includes:
  • All Consultation & Strategy package
  • Asset Tracer Report to assess recoverability of debt
  • Preparing a detailed letter before claim or statutory demand to the debtor
  • Considering any early Part 36 or protective offers to resolve your case early
  • Considering any Letter of Response from the debtor
  • Negotiating with debtor to agree payment terms

Litigation

This package includes:
  • All Case Preparation package
  • Preparing Claim Form and Particulars of Claim to be filed at Court & served
  • Engaging in correspondence with the debtor
  • Considering & advising you on any Defence filed by the debtor
  • Considering any early Part 36 offer and/or mediation
  • Preparing and advising you on terms of a settlement agreement

Reviews

Karim Oualnan handled a contractual case to a successful resolution. Karim was very diligent, always providing great, honest advice in which Karim always put my best interests at the forefront of his suggestions during the case. He is very reliable, trustworthy and always on hand to help. I would highly recommend Karim.
I have no hesitation in recommending the services of Karim and his team. I had been banging my head against a brick wall after my bank forced the closure of my accounts and froze a substantial amount of my cash assets. Karim quickly reviewed all of the documentation relating to the matter and issued a letter before claim and formal...
We hired Karim for a commercial dispute, with a UK based entity that breached our P.O. terms. The difficulty with the case was that we have paid a down payment without much leverage to recover it. The supplier misled us forever 2 years and finally decided not to pay our down payment. However, with the support of the lead lawyer...
Very satisfied with the way that Karim Oualnan and his team took hold of a messy conveyancing professional negligence claim, and progressed it all the way through to an amicable settlement in just over 6 months. Professional, courteous, knowledgeable and also pragmatic with advice and strategy. I would not hesitate to recommend.
Karim offered me some advice regarding a lease issue. He was kind , courteous, knowledgable and above all really generous with his time and support . I would recommend Karim in a heartbeat for explaining things so clearly without patronising and for making me feel so at ease.
Karim is wonderful to work with, attentive, calmed and a knowledgeable professional. I appreciate his help a lot, he guided me in a way that not a lot of people does. Reliable and a great motivator.

Free Insolvency Tracker & Claims Protection™

Disclaimer: Sign-up does not automatically create a lawyer/client relationship. Service is usually worth £1k per year. For information on the benefits of this free service, see here.

1. Book Free Consultation

2. Our Lawyers will call you

3. We will represent your best interests to success

Schedule a Free Consultation

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UK Debt Recovery FAQs

A debt recovery claim refers to the legal process by which creditors seek to recover unpaid debts from individuals or businesses that owe them money. It can involve taking legal action to enforce payment and ensure that the debtor fulfils their financial obligations. However, most payment disputes are resolved without legal proceedings with a careful approach and tactical negotiation.

A debt recovery claim typically follows these steps:

  1. Initial Communication: The creditor or debt lawyer initiates communication with the debtor, reminding them of the outstanding debt and requesting payment. This can include notices, reminders, letters, emails, or phone calls.
  2. Due Diligence: The importance of due diligence and understanding your opponent cannot be understated. Thorough investigations into the Debtor, their assets and financial viability at the outset significantly increases the prospect of recovering and resolving your payment dispute quickly. Further, if your opponent is seeking to deplete assets we can seek to protect your interests by serving notices at the land registry or apply to the Court for a freezing injunction to prevent your opponent to sell their assets.
  3. Letter Before Action: If the debtor fails to respond or make payment, we can be instructed to send a formal “Letter Before Action.” This letter outlines the debt amount, details of the debt, and a final opportunity for the debtor to settle the debt before legal action is taken.
  4. Issuing a Claim: If the debtor remains unresponsive or fails to make payment, our debt recovery lawyers can file a claim in court or present insolvency proceedings against the debtor. This involves submitting a legal document outlining the debt and the reasons for the claim.
  5. Response from Debtor: The debtor has a limited time to respond to the claim. They can choose to admit the debt, dispute it, or request more time to pay.
  6. Court Judgment: If the debtor disputes the debt or fails to respond, the court may issue a judgment in favour of the creditor. This legally obligates the debtor to pay the debt typically within 14 days of the judgment.
  7. Enforcement: If the debtor still refuses to pay, the creditor can take enforcement action, such as seizing assets, freezing bank accounts, or arranging for wage garnishment.

At Go Legal, our experienced team specialises in debt recovery and can guide you through each step of the process. We understand the importance of recovering outstanding debts efficiently and will work tirelessly to help you achieve a positive resolution.

We provide a free business health check and case review to establish how we can help your business get your bills paid including reviewing your businesses terms and conditions and invoices.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have resolved in our client’s favour (and also recovering our client’s legal costs and interest from the debtor). You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice.

Please do not hesitate to call our expert debt recovery lawyers for a Free Consultation on 0207 459 4037.

If a debtor fails to repay their debt, it is essential to take prompt and strategic action to protect your interests and recover what is rightfully owed to you as any delays could significantly harm your prospects of recovering the sums due (particularly if the debtor is in financial distress and there are other creditors). We suggest that the following approach be taken:

  • Review Documentation: Begin by thoroughly reviewing the terms of your agreement and any relevant documentation. This will help you understand the debtor’s obligations and your rights, guiding your actions.
  • Retain all documentation and correspondence: Evidence is the cornerstone of a successful claim therefore it is important that you retain any documents, and agreements with the debtor and any evidence that you complied with your part of the agreement.
  • Get in touch with us: we offer Free Consultations and it is important that you obtain legal advice as soon as it becomes clear that a debtor is not paying their debt. Prompt action early on has significantly increase prospects of recovering the money that you are due because the debtor may seek to deplete assets or go into some form of insolvency process.

Dealing with debt recovery can be complex and time-consuming. Engaging the services of our experienced debt recovery team can streamline the process and improve your chances of success. We are experts in debt recovery and insolvency matters, and we are very thorough in our approach to litigation.

The first is to reach out to us for a Free Consultation and we will advise you on the best route to take in your debt dispute.

Our award-winning specialist team of litigators will assess your debt recovery claim and consider whether it is commercial for you to pursue the unpaid business debt.

If the prospects of recovering the debt are low, it may not be commercial for you to incur the time and cost of pursuing the debt. In those circumstances we will thoroughly investigate the debtor and any assets they may have and seek to protect your interests quickly.

We will need to be satisfied that you have a reasonable chance of recovering the debt and that it will justify the time and expense of pursuing it. Our aim will be to seek to get your invoice paid as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

It may make commercial sense for businesses to write off small debt (such as debts less than £100), however this may create a precedent which encourages other small debtors not to pay your invoices. Further, if there are several unpaid invoices this can really hurt small businesses’ cash flow.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly.

Please do not hesitate to call us for a Free Consultation to discuss your debt recovery issue.

If you have a debt that is unpaid, you should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to delay matters to deplete assets so as to evade paying your invoice (and may go into some sort of insolvency process).

You should consult with our expert lawyers at the very outset you think there might be an issue; it is vital that you act quickly as this will give us the best chance of recovering your debt quickly – as delays make it harder.

Our dedicated team of litigators have extensive experience in acting for businesses in getting their bills paid quickly usually within 1 month of instruction.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have been resolved in our client’s favour. Our lawyers have also been able to recover bad debts for clients plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs often at 100%.

Call us now for a Free Consultation with our lawyers to discuss your debt issue.

Yes, pursuing a debt recovery claim against an insolvent debtor is possible. While insolvency may add a layer of complexity, it does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to recover what is owed to you.

  • Insolvency Procedures: When a debtor is insolvent, they may undergo various insolvency procedures, such as administration, liquidation, or bankruptcy. These procedures are designed to address the debtor’s financial difficulties and distribute available assets to creditors. Typically, the administrator or liquidator will work to pursue claims and recover money for the creditors.
  • Priority of Creditors: Creditors are prioritised in insolvency proceedings. Secured creditors, such as those with a charge on the debtor’s property, usually have priority. Unsecured creditors, including those owed money without any specific security, may receive a proportion of the available funds.
  • Proving Your Claim: To pursue your debt recovery claim in an insolvency scenario, you’ll need to prove your debt as a legitimate creditor. This involves submitting documentation such as a proof of debt form, evidence, and details of the outstanding debt to the insolvency practitioner.
  • Recovery Possibilities: Depending on the available assets and the insolvency process, you may be able to recover a portion of the debt. In some cases, you might receive a dividend from the debtor’s assets, although this may not cover the entire debt.
  • Professional Guidance: Insolvency proceedings can be intricate, and navigating them requires a thorough understanding of the legal framework. Engaging a skilled legal team experienced in debt recovery and insolvency can significantly enhance your chances of success.
  • Maximising Recovery: While full recovery may not always be possible, taking proactive steps and pursuing your claim without delay can lead to a favourable outcome.

At Go Legal, our dedicated team specialise in debt recovery and insolvency matters. We are committed to assisting you in navigating the complexities of insolvency proceedings, maximizing your recovery potential, and ensuring that your rights as a creditor are protected.

Contact us today to discuss your specific situation and learn about the options available to you in a Free Consultation.

We will discuss your requirements and objectives at the outside and determine whether you wish to retain a business relationship with the debtor, and this will guide the approach in your debt recovery dispute.

If you wish to retain an ongoing relationship with the debtor in the future – negotiation and mediation may be the preferred solution, and our lawyers will work to get the best result for you. Several of our lawyers are trained mediators and are also registered members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the International Mediation Institute (IMI). We are experts in negotiation.

We always take a commercial and reasonable but firm approach to our debt recovery matters to ensure that our clients get the best results.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide you with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly.

This will largely depend on the debtor and whether they have assets and/or the ability to pay the debt. We will conduct a thorough assessment of the debtor including an asset tracer report (if necessary) to determine early on whether the debtor is a defendant worth pursuing.

Several of our lawyers are also trained mediators and are registered members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the International Mediation Institute (IMI). We are experts in negotiation.

We always take a commercial and reasonable but firm approach to our debt recovery matters to ensure that debt disputes are resolved quickly and cost-effectively for our clients.

Yes. Your contract with the debtor may allow your business to claim interest if payment is not received on time. In addition, commercial debts are covered by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Where there are no written terms of credit, legislation provides that interest may be charged at a set rate of 8% plus base rate.

Yes. Your contract may specify your business may recover any costs of collecting the overdue debts; and for commercial debts, legislation allows specified amounts for ‘reasonable debt recovery costs’ and late payment charges.

  1. The first step is for you to get in touch with our debt recovery team so that we can assess and investigate your potential claim. You can complete our online enquiry form, booking form or call us to get started with a Free Consultation in which our lawyers can discuss your debt issue and offer some preliminary advice.
  2. Unless the relevant limitation period is about to expire (see further below), you are then required to comply with legal procedures known as the ‘Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims’ or the ‘Pre-Action Protocol & Procedure’. The protocols encourage the early exchange of information with the aim of dealing with matters swiftly and cost-effectively, and is designed to encourage parties to settle a dispute early without the need for expensive court proceedings. This process involves sending a ‘Letter of Claim’ to the professional which should set out the factual and legal basis for your debt claim, losses claimed and include any documents relied upon to support your claim.
  3. The debtor is required to respond to the ‘Letter of Claim’ within 14 days or 30 days (depending on which protocol applies to your claim) of receiving it in which the debt can either: (i) admit the claim; (ii) make proposals for settlement or alternative dispute resolution; or (iii) dispute the claim.
  4. If settlement is not possible after these steps, the next step is usually to issue Court proceedings with a formal claim form under CPR Part 7 with particulars of claim.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide you with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt issue resolved quickly.

This will depend on the type of invoice and the issues in your claim but typically it is 6 years from the date that the breach of contract occurred. Our debt recovery team will discuss time limits with you once we have assessed your debt recovery matter; it is important to act quickly as delays could make enforcement more difficult if the debtor is in financial difficulties or seeking to deplete assets.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have been resolved in our client’s favour. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs.

You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice or become insolvent therefore it is important to act quickly. If you delay you may never get paid the monies that you are rightfully due.

Please get in touch with our lawyers today for a Free Consultation.

You should ideally have a copy of the written contract with the debtor which is signed by both parties. If you do not have a contract, you may have agreed terms orally or informally in which case those terms should be recorded somewhere for example, in a text message exchange or telephone call.

You should also retain any documentary evidence such as an invoice, messages and any other correspondence with the debtor (including any efforts made chasing the debt or attempting to negotiate with the debtor).

Further, any evidence that you fulfilled your part of the contract or agreement. This is particularly important if the debtor seeks to dispute the debt.

It is important to retain any evidence that you have that you in fact fulfilled the contract – for example, any pictures, messages from the debtor proving that it was satisfied with any works or services carried out, or a signed delivery note confirming that the goods were received on time and in satisfactory condition.

However, there might be a dispute over the quality of a service you supplied, or you might have delivered the correct goods but after the agreed date. You may then need to aim for a compromise, taking into account any genuine shortcomings in your performance and the extent to which they adversely affected your customer.

Several of our lawyers are also trained mediators and are also registered members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the International Mediation Institute (IMI). We are experts in negotiation. We always take a commercial and reasonable but firm approach to our debt recovery matters to ensure that our clients get the best results.

Your contract with the debtor will typically have a governing law and jurisdiction clause which was negotiated at the outset of the relationship between the parties. This will assist the parties to determine which jurisdiction the Court proceedings will be started. If your contract does not have a governing law and jurisdiction clauses, we will be able to assist you and advise you on jurisdiction at the outset to ensure that proceedings are issued correctly (otherwise they may be struck out by the Court if not done properly).

Further, if the Debtor is resident outside of England & Wales, the service rules for serving proceedings outside of the jurisdiction differ slightly.

Our award-winning debt recovery lawyers have extensive experience in pursuing debts from businesses outside of England & Wales. We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have been resolved in our clients favour. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs.

If there Debt is located outside of the jurisdiction, we have an network of asset tracers and investigators to analyse any assets that the opponent may have in order to inform the strategy and enforcement of the debt internationally.

 You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice. If you delay you may never get paid the monies that you are rightfully due.

Yes. If you are a creditor (business, sole trader or public body) claiming payment of a debt from an individual (including a sole trader) then you are obliged to comply with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims.

However, the protocol for debt claims does not apply to business-to-business debts (unless the person who owes money is a sole trader).

If the debt is a business-to-business debt then the general Practice Direction on Pre-Action Protocol must be followed.

If the relevant pre-action protocols are not followed there may be cost consequences for failing to comply with the rules; the exception to the general rule is where there is a limitation issue in respect of your claim and the only alternative to protect your legal rights is to issue a claim at Court.

Complying with the relevant pre-action protocols may be a cheap and cost-effective way of securing payment of a debt quickly without going to Court.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly. We will provide you with a clear strategy to recover your debt at the very outset.

The pre-action debt protocol is designed to promote early communication between the creditor and the debtor which enables an early exchange of information about the debt which will assist in identifying what the issues are in dispute and may assist our advice in guiding the strategy to recover your debt.

Complying with the relevant pre-action protocols may be a cheap and cost-effective way of securing payment of a debt quickly without going to Court. We have often resolved matters and obtained full payment for our clients by complying with the pre-action protocols without issuing Court proceedings.

Obviously if the debt dispute cannot be resolved early without Court proceedings, we will robustly and tactically pursue your interests to achieve the best outcome for you.

If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly.

In accordance with the relevant pre-action protocol, before court proceedings are commenced, we will send a detailed Letter of Claim to the debtor on your behalf which exhibits any key contractual documentation and the invoice (where applicable). We will also consider whether it would be sensible to send a statutory demand, or winding up petition to protect your interests (or alternatively seek to support an existing petition) to maximise your position on recovering the debt quickly and cost- effectively.

The protocols provide that a Letter of Claim should contain the following information:

  • the amount of the debt
  • whether interest or other charges are continuing
  • where the debt arises from an oral agreement, who made the agreement, what was agreed (including, as far as possible, what words were used) and when and where it was agreed
  • where the debt arises from a written agreement, the date of the agreement, the parties to it and the fact that a copy of the written agreement can be requested from the creditor
  • where the debt has been assigned, the details of the original debt and creditor, when it was assigned and to whom
  • if regular instalments are currently being offered by or on behalf of the debtor, or are being paid, an explanation of why the offer is not acceptable and why a court claim is still being considered
  • details of how the debt can be paid (for example, the method of and address for payment) and details of how to proceed if the debtor wishes to discuss payment options
  • the address to which the completed Reply Form should be sent
  • enclose an up-to-date statement of account for the debt, which should include details of any interest and administrative or other charges added
  • enclose the most recent statement of account for the debt and state in the Letter of Claim the amount of interest incurred and any administrative or other charges imposed since that statement of account was issued, sufficient to bring it up to date
  • where no statements have been provided for the debt, state in the Letter of Claim the amount of interest incurred and any administrative or other charges imposed since the debt was incurred
  • enclose a copy of the Information Sheet and the Reply Form in Annex 1 to the Pre-action Protocol for Debt Claims
  • enclose a Financial Statement form.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debts paid quickly. We will provide you with a clear strategy to recover your debt at the very outset.

If we have followed the relevant pre-action protocol (and submitted a Letter of Claim) or after issuing a statutory demand, the debtor has still not paid the debt that is due or negotiated a repayment plan (or responded at all), then the next option would be to issue a Court claim or insolvency proceedings against the debtor.

It is important at this point to have completed the due diligence on the debtor to satisfy ourselves and you that there are good prospects of recoverability against the debtor and has the funds or assets to meet any judgment from the Court.

We have experience in draft the claim form and particulars of claim to get your claim started. Our expert debt recovery lawyers have a high rate of success in recovering 100% of the legal costs of debt claims, but we must take a well-considered and strategic approach to for clients.

Many of our lawyers are dual-qualified and conduct advocacy on a regular basis. We will represent you at any debt recovery hearing or trial often without external barristers thus saving you costs.

We will carry out a thorough due diligence process on the debtor to see what assets and/or funds they may have to satisfy your debt claim at the very outset. We can do this using open-source information but our expert lawyers also have paid for platforms which provide a lot of detail such as Credit Safe and other legal platforms which we can use to assist and inform our approach. We also work with a team of well-renowned asset tracers and investigators.
If you think that the debtor may be insolvent or has insufficient monies to pay your invoice, then it is important to act quickly and seek independent legal advice on the merits of your potential claim and we can advise you on the likely losses you may be able to recover.
We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have been resolved in our client’s favour because our due diligence is thorough. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs.
You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice. You can contact us today for a Free Consultation.

Yes. If you have raised an invoice but the debtor has disputed the work carried out or the amount of the invoice, we can be instructed to assess whether there is a genuine and substantive dispute on the facts and will advise you accordingly. It is important that you retain any evidence to show that you have fulfilled your part of the agreement as this is key to leveraging your negotiations and critical in any court claim.

Our litigators have extensive experience in acting for individuals and businesses in getting their bills paid quickly. We are the adviser of choice for many businesses.

We have a success rate of over 95% on our debt recovery matters which have resolved in our client’s favour. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs.

The debtor may be seeking to deplete its assets to evade payment of your invoice. It is therefore important for you to seek legal advice quickly so that we can seek to protect and secure your interests on any assets owned by the debtor.

If the debtor has formally entered a liquidation or insolvency process, we will ensure that your claim is progressed and manage your claim to ensure that your invoice is paid together with interest and legal costs.

If the debtor has applied for voluntary dissolution, we will contact Companies House and request that the dissolution is suspended until such time as the debtor has paid you.

It is important to check the terms of contract with the business, we always advise our clients to ensure that the company and any director are personally liable for the invoice. This gives our clients different options of pursuing the debt as against the company and against any director personally.

The timeline for a debt recovery claim can vary depending on the complexity of the case and the debtor’s cooperation. Generally, simpler cases can be resolved more quickly, while complex cases may take longer. Factors such as negotiations, legal action, and enforcement also influence the duration.

Our dedicated team at Go Legal is committed to efficient communication, timely action, and transparent updates, ensuring the swiftest resolution possible for your case. Get in touch with us to discuss your situation and receive personalised guidance on the expected timeline for your debt recovery claim.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have resolved in our client’s favour. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs. You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice. If you delay you may never get paid the monies that you are rightfully due, please call us today for a Free Consultation with our lawyers or you can complete our booking form above to schedule a consultation at a convenient time for you.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods are often an effective and efficient way to resolve debt recovery disputes without resorting to lengthy and expensive court proceedings. Mediation and negotiation can provide a more collaborative approach, potentially leading to faster resolutions and preserving business relationships.

Our skilled team at Go Legal is well-versed in ADR techniques and can guide you through the best strategy for your specific case. We regularly represent our clients at mediations often leading to early and cost-effective settlements. Several of our lawyers are also trained mediators and are also registered members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the International Mediation Institute (IMI).

By considering ADR, you not only save time and costs but also demonstrate a willingness to reach a fair solution. Contact us to explore how ADR can streamline your debt recovery process while achieving favourable outcomes.

Yes, you can pursue a debt recovery claim against an individual who has declared bankruptcy, but the process might be more complex. When someone declares bankruptcy, their debts are usually handled through the insolvency proceedings by the trustee in bankruptcy. It is crucial to act promptly and seek legal advice from our team to navigate the intricacies of the situation effectively.

While recovering debt from a bankrupt individual can be challenging, it’s not impossible. Our experienced team at Go Legal can help you explore the options available and guide you through the legal procedures. We can assist in liaising with the insolvency practitioner, assessing the viability of the claim, and pursuing the best course of action to maximize your chances of recovering what you are owed. Contact us to discuss your specific case and create a strategic approach to your debt recovery needs.

When a debtor chooses to ignore a valid and undisputed debt recovery claim, they set in motion a series of potential consequences that can significantly impact their financial standing and legal position. Ignoring a debt recovery claim can result in the creditor pursuing more aggressive actions (including insolvency measures) to recover the owed amount.

Some potential consequences for debtors who ignore a debt recovery claim include:

  1. Legal Actions: Creditors may escalate the matter by initiating legal proceedings against the debtor. This can lead to court hearings, judgments, and potentially enforcement action to recover the debt.
  2. Court Judgments: If a creditor takes legal action and obtains a judgment in their favour, it becomes a matter of public record. This can affect the debtor’s credit score and overall financial reputation.
  3. Accruing Interest and Costs: Ignoring a debt recovery claim can lead to the debt accruing interest and additional costs, including legal fees associated with pursuing the claim.
  4. Credit Rating Damage: Unresolved debts and court judgments can have a negative impact on the debtor’s credit rating, making it challenging for them to access credit in the future. This information will be shown on credit agencies such as Credit Safe and Experion, and could significantly affect future credit, and growth plans for the business if debt disputes are not properly managed and resolved.
  5. Asset Seizure: In more severe cases, creditors may seek to enforce the debt recovery judgment by seizing assets belonging to the debtor, such as bank accounts or property.
  6. Business Impact: For business debtors, ignoring debt recovery claims can lead to reputational damage and hinder their ability to secure contracts or funding.
  7. Reputational damage: you may be trading within a small sector where businesses talk to each other and it could significantly damage your reputation if businesses and staff are discussing the financial instability of the business to external sources. It could force a raft of creditors to seek to protect their position.
  8. Injunctions and Orders: Creditors may seek court injunctions or orders to freeze the debtor’s assets, preventing them from dissipating funds and evading their debt.

It is important to note that taking legal action is often a last resort, and most creditors prefer to explore alternative dispute resolution methods before proceeding to court.

If you find yourself in a situation where a debtor is ignoring your debt recovery claim, our skilled legal team at Go Legal can guide you through the necessary steps to protect your interests and recover the owed amount. We have a proven track record of success in debt recovery matters, and we are dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible outcome.

Ensuring that a debtor has the means to repay a debt is a crucial aspect of the debt recovery process and something at Go Legal we explore and investigate at the very outset. It is important to assess the debtor’s financial situation before pursuing legal action or other recovery methods. We will usually go through the following steps depending on the specific case and debtor:

  1. Gather Information: We will start by collecting as much o
  2. pen source information as possible about the debtor’s financial status. This may include reviewing any available financial statements, credit reports, and previous correspondence.
  3. Engage in Communication: We will open a line of communication with the debtor to discuss the debt and their current financial situation. This can provide insights into their ability to repay and potentially lead to a negotiated resolution.
  4. Request Documentation: We will ask the debtor to provide relevant documentation, such as income statements, bank statements, and details about their assets and liabilities.
  5. Asset Search: We have an extensive network of specialist asset tracers who will conduct an asset search to identify any properties, vehicles, bank accounts, or other valuable assets owned by the debtor. This information can indicate their financial capacity and is an important part of our due diligence and investigation process.
  6. Credit Check: We will perform a credit check to assess the debtor’s credit history and any outstanding debts they may have with other creditors. This is important to device a strategy by investigating how they may have dealt with debts previously with other creditors.

At Go Legal, our experienced team specialises in debt recovery strategies and can assist you in navigating the complexities of assessing a debtor’s means to repay.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have resolved in our client’s favour. Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs.

You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice. If you delay you may never get paid the monies that you are rightfully due.

Yes, we will conduct an open-source search to determine where the debtor has moved to and if necessary, instruct one of our specialist asset tracers to investigate the debtors new address at which any correspondence and legal proceedings may be served to recover your monies. If it is a company it will be publicly available on Companies House but we will conduct a thorough investigation in any event.

Yes, you have the legal right to pursue debts from a guarantor if the debtor defaults on their payment.

A guarantor is someone who agrees to take on the responsibility of repaying the debt if the original debtor fails to do so. This agreement is usually outlined in a contract signed by the guarantor.

At Go Legal, we specialise in debt recovery and have extensive experience dealing with guarantors. We understand the complexities of these cases and can provide expert guidance to ensure your rights are protected. Whether you are dealing with a debtor, a guarantor, or both, our dedicated team is here to help you navigate the process and recover the debt owed to you. Please do not hesitate to call us for a Free Consultation today on 0207 459 4037.

Our debt recovery and insolvency team will discuss enforcement options with you once we have assessed your debt recovery matter and conducted a due diligence exercise on the debtor (and any assets they may own). There are several ways in which a debt judgment may be enforced and we will consider this with you at the very outset and seek to protect your interest in any asset at an early stage of our instruction to ensure that the debtor does not seek to deplete any assets (such as property by way of an application to the Land Registry). Our approach is always to look at enforcement and ways to enforce against any assets at the start so that we can reverse engineer a strategy of protecting the assets and your interests in recovering the debt.

We have a 95% success rate on our debt recovery matters which have been resolved in our client’s favour (and we will not hesitate to enforce a judgment where necessary). Our clients have been able to recover their bad debts plus interest and a contribution towards their legal costs. You should obtain legal advice quickly as the debtor may be seeking to deplete assets to evade paying your invoice. If you delay you may never get paid the monies that you are rightfully due.

Unless there are limitation issues with your debt claim, you must comply with the relevant pre-action protocol which encourages parties to resolve matters without Court proceedings. You may also wish to agree to a compromise with the debtor or an instalment plan particularly where you may wish to retain a business relationship going forwards.

Our lawyers have an exceptional success rate in recovering debt on behalf of our clients without Court proceedings. However, that is not always possible and sometimes Court proceedings may be the only route for recovering your debt.

Yes. As part of our service to our clients, we will review your business contracts and terms and conditions. We can thereafter be instructed to amend or redraft your contracts and terms and conditions to ensure that payment is made promptly in future and any issues can be adequately resolved in your favour should they arise.

Protection and taking pre-emptive steps to ensure that all your contractual documentation is robust is a very important step that we help our clients with at the outset of our instruction to ensure that our clients are protected from debt disputes (and should they arise they are in a good position).

We understand that funding your claim may be difficult particularly where your business may be suffering cash flow problems caused by the unpaid debt. Our expert debt recovery and insolvency lawyers often get asked whether we can accept instructions on a “no win no fee” basis such as a Conditional Fee Agreement (“CFA”) or a Damages Based Agreement (“DBA”).

We will consider each claim on a case-by-case basis and we will discuss the different funding options with you to assess what type of funding arrangement would be in your best interest including whether you have an existing insurance policy in place which may provide a contribution towards your legal costs, this may be:

  • Fixed fees – where we agree fixed fee with you for certain work
  • Hourly rates – where we charge for our work on an hourly rate basis
  • No win no fee – where we do not charge you anything unless you recover some compensation from the debtor
  • A combination of the above.

We also have relationships with litigation funds and after-the-event insurers that may be able to provide funding at discounted rates for your claim based on our opinion of your claim.

If your debt recovery claim is successful, we have an excellent track record of being able to recover most of your legal costs from the debtor and often 100% of the legal costs plus interest and late compensation fees.

We will offer you a bespoke litigation funding package that meets your own circumstances and needs. We will work with you to find the best funding solution for your claim.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly.

Yes. We consider each claim on a case-by-case basis and we will discuss the different funding options with you to assess what type of funding arrangement would be in your best interest including whether you have an existing insurance policy in place which may contribute to your legal costs.

We provide practical advice to help your business recover your debts as quickly as possible and with minimal or no cost to you. If your business has any unpaid debts, our specialist debt recovery lawyers will provide with a cost-effective debt recovery service to get your debt paid quickly. For more information on funding arrangements, please see our Funding page.

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