If you are owed a sum of money in relation to an undisputed invoice, we can offer the following fixed fee debt recovery service in order to assist you in securing the money owed to you. To talk through your exact requirements and to receive a full itemised quote please call our team on 01246 560 560.
1. Our Legal Fees and Disbursements
Letters Before Action
We will take your instructions and send an initial demand letter to the debtor for the cost of £50 + VAT (£60). If further correspondence is required prior to us issuing court proceedings (for example to respond to queries raised by the debtor) each additional letter will be charged at £17.50 +VAT (£21).
Issue of Proceedings
The fixed costs payable upon issuing court proceedings will be tracked according to the fixed costs that the court will allow you to recover from the debtor, + VAT (please note that the VAT element is not recoverable from the debtor). Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
These costs and disbursements are as follows:
|
Value of Debt |
Fixed Costs |
Court Fee (No VAT payable) |
|
Up to £300 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£35 |
|
Greater than £300 but no more than £500 |
£50 + VAT (£60) |
£50 |
|
Greater than £500 but no more than £1000 |
£70 + VAT (£84) |
£70 |
|
Greater than £1,000 but no more than £1,500 |
£80 + VAT (£96) |
£80 |
|
Greater than £1,500 but no more than £3,000 |
£80 + VAT (£96) |
£115 |
|
Greater than £3,000 but no more than £5,000 |
£80+ VAT (£96) |
£205 |
|
Greater than £5,000 but no more than £10,000 |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
£455 |
|
Greater than £10,000 but no more than £200,000 |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
5% of the value of your claim |
|
Over £200,000 |
£100 + VAT (£120) |
£10,000 |
Defended Proceedings
Work undertaken on any claims that are defended shall, from the point that the defence is filed, be charged at an hourly charging rate. Our hourly charging rates vary between £155 and £305 + VAT (£186 to £366)
In the event that a Defence is filed we will provide you with costs estimates at that point in time. Our costs estimates will be based upon the value and level of complexity of your case.
The below costs estimates give an overview of the likely level of costs in defended cases:
|
Value of Claim |
Our Estimated Costs (Excluding any disbursements)
|
||
|
Simple |
Medium Complexity |
High Complexity |
|
|
No more than £10,000 |
£3,000 + VAT (£3,600) |
£5,000 +VAT (£6,000) |
£7,500 + VAT(£9,000) |
|
Between £10,001 and £25,000 |
£9,000 + VAT (£10,800) |
£15,000 +VAT (£18,000) |
£18,000 +VAT (£21,600) |
|
Over £25,000 |
£18,000 + VAT (£21,600) |
£30,000 +VAT (£36,000) |
£45,000 +VAT (£54,000) |
The above estimates do not include the following steps:
- Engaging in Alternative Dispute Resolution, such as mediation.
- Dealing with interim applications.
In the event that either of these steps are required, we will provide specific cost estimates to you at the relevant time.
Judgment
In the event that your opponent does not respond to the claim or respond by admitting the claim, we will obtain judgment on your behalf. The following fixed fees will apply:
Judgment in default (i.e. where the debtor fails to respond to the claim or file a Defence) £30 +VAT (£36)
Judgment on admission (i.e. where the debtor admits the debt and makes an offer of payment) £55+VAT (£66)
Interim Applications
If the debtor makes any applications within the proceedings (for example, to set aside or vary a judgment), our fees will again be charged by applying the above hourly rates and an estimate of our costs for dealing with this stage will be provided to you.
Enforcement Proceedings
In the event that we obtain judgment on your behalf and the debtor fails to make payment, there are a number of ways that we can assist you in enforcing the judgment. The various options and our fixed costs and disbursements are set out below:
Bailiffs/High Court Enforcement Officers
We can instruct Bailiffs or High Court Enforcement officers to attempt to seize items of property belonging to the debtor. Our fixed fees for this service are as follows:
|
Value of debt |
Fixed Costs |
Disbursements (No VAT payable) |
|
Bailiffs up to £125 |
£25 + VAT (£30) |
£110 |
|
Bailiffs over £125 |
£35+ VAT (£42) |
£110 |
|
High Court Enforcement Officers over £600 |
£50 +VAT (£60) |
£66 (to transfer Judgment for enforcement) £70 (abortive fee if enforcement is unsuccessful) |
Attachment of Earnings
If you are aware that the debtor is employed, we can apply to the court for an order to deduct payments from the debtor’s wages. Our fixed fees for this service are as follows:
Fixed Cost £150 +VAT (£180)
Court Fee £110 (No VAT payable)
Charging Orders
If the debtor owns a property, it may be possible to apply for a Charging Order to secure the debt against that property. Our fixed fees for this service are as follows:
Fixed Cost £250 + VAT (£300)
Disbursements (No VAT).
Court fee: £110
Official Copies: £6
HM Land Registry Fee: £40
Agent’s fee £75 + VAT (£90)
2. How Long Will Your Case Take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If the claim is undefended, your case is likely to take around 2 – 8 weeks in the event that the debtor pays promptly upon receipt of a Letter Before Action or Judgment.
If enforcement proceedings are required, this stage could take a further 6 to 12 weeks, depending upon the type of enforcement.
If your claim is defended and it proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 30 – 52 weeks.
These are just estimates and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescales as your case progresses.
3. Our Team
Debt Recovery is handled by our experienced Dispute Resolution team which includes:
Head of Department, Solicitor and Director, Rob Stubbs
Michael Parker, Litigation Executive