Girlings logo
TOP
Make an
enquiry

Make an enquiry

Please complete the form below and a legal adviser will contact you.
Select office:
Your data will only be used to contact you regarding your enquiry.
Debt Recovery

Debt Recovery

Business Law

A fast, efficient and cost effective debt recovery service.

 We have offices in Ashford, Canterbury and Herne Bay. Our comprehensive and cost effective business debt recovery service includes dealing with:

  • Unpaid commercial invoices
  • Unpaid debts
  • Tenant arrears
  • Former/missing tenant arrears
  • Tracing and Status Reports
  • High Court enforcement referrals
  • Attachment of Earnings Orders
  • Insolvency
  • Charging Orders
  • Employment Status Reports
  • Other forms of debt recovery

Debt Recovery

Our clients range from larger companies with credit managers who need a debt recovery service, to individuals and smaller businesses that just do not have the time or sometimes knowledge to chase unpaid bills, whether through the Courts or not.

Our fully computerised but personal service offers a speedy and cost effective means of recovering debts at all levels.

Step 1: Provide us with a copy of your outstanding invoice(s) or statement of account with full contact details of the debtor, details of the debt owed and how it arose. We send a Letter of Claim (and, if appropriate, a Reply Form) requesting payment within either 7 or (in the case of individual/sole trader debtors) 30 days, warning of Court proceedings in the event of non-payment.  Often this alone will result in payment.

Step 2: If, at the end of the stipulated period, payment has not been made or a suitable repayment plan has not been agreed, we will advise you of the options available to you and their associated costs. It should be noted that the majority of costs are recoverable from the debtor.

Step 3: If Court proceedings are commenced we will apply for judgment as appropriate and advise you regarding suitable enforcement steps.  If a Defence is submitted we will advise you of its merits and the most cost effective way to proceed.   You will be consulted at each stage.

For a fixed fee of £100 + VAT, our team of experts will

  • Take your instructions on the sum owing.
  • Review any supporting evidence such as invoices.
  • Draft and send a letter of claim.
  • Relay the response received to you.
  • Advise you on your options if the matter is not resolved.
Debt Recovery Protocol

From 1 October 2017 the Debt Recovery Protocol applies to any business claiming payment of a debt from an individual/sole trader. The Protocol provides that certain information must be given to the debtor in the Letter of Demand and invites the debtor to complete a Reply Form and Financial Statement (see Annexes 1 & 2) within 30 days. If no Reply is received from the debtor within 30 days, Court proceedings can be commenced.  If the debtor responds within 30 days asking for further information, Court proceedings cannot be commenced until 30 days after the information has been provided. 

The Protocol does not apply to business to business debts.

The Protocol is to encourage the parties to make every effort to resolve the claim without the need for Court proceedings.

Court Proceedings

You have no obligation to issue Court proceedings.  If proceedings are taken and defended, we will guide you through the legal process. 

You are best placed to decide whether or not the debtor is able to pay or simply unwilling and we encourage you to inform us of your thoughts from the outset.   Where a genuine dispute is foreseen or emerges, or you instruct us to enter into correspondence with the debtor, we will handle the case and fees will be charged on a time basis.

Our Fees

Please find below details of our fees for Debt Recovery and related timescales. 
 

1.0  Fees

All fees set out below are exclusive of VAT 

STEP 1 - Initial Instructions and Letter before Action

To receiving your instructions, reviewing papers and sending a letter before action (also by email if appropriate); attempting to make contact with the debtor and reporting to you; to include advising upon any offers to pay. Our fixed fee: £100 + VAT

STEP 2 -  Issue and service of County Court proceedings

To include reviewing with you any dispute to payment and discussing further appropriate action; drafting county court Claim Form and Particulars of Claim for you to sign; arranging for issue and service; advising you of any defence & counterclaim or offers to pay; advising of timetable for judgment.

Debt Outstanding

(inc interest) £

Court Fee

Girlings fee (exc VAT)

Total fixed costs recoverable from Debtor

Your Net Contribution (exc VAT)

Up to £300

£35

£65

£85

£15

£301 - £500

£50

£75

£100

£25

£501-£1000

£70

£95

£140

£25

£1001-£1500

£80

£95

£150

£25

£1501 -£3000

£115

£110

£225

£0

£3001-£5000

£205

£110

£315

£0

£5001-£10,000

£455

£175

£605

£25

£10,001-£200,000

5% of debt

£200

5% of claim

£200

£200,001+

£10,000

£250

£10,000

£250

STEP 3 - Enter judgment

To include entering judgment in default as per fixed costs £22/£30; liaising with you regarding possible enforcement options and advising accordingly. Our fee: £22/30

STEP 4 - Issuing Warrant of Execution to Bailiff/ High Court Enforcement Officers 

Judgment Sum

Court fee

Girlings Fee

£125+   

£60/£100

£50

Reinstructing bailiff

Court fee

Girlings fee

£25        

£15

Not inclusive of High Court Enforcement Officers costs

Alternative Methods of Enforcement:

Order to Attend Court for Questioning  

To include preparing application and submitting to the court, arranging for personal service, instructing agents to attend where appropriate; reporting to you.

Our fixed fee: £115  - Not inclusive of court fee; affidavit fees, process server’s charge, any  agents charges for attendance at court and conduct money paid to debtor.

Charging Orders

To include: preparing necessary statements an application, arranging for service on debtor and any other interested parties, attending application or instructing agents as appropriate, serving copy of order on debtor, registering this at Land Registry and copying all correspondence as appropriate.

Our fixed fee: £650  - Not inclusive of Court fee, affidavit fees, agents fees for attendance at court, Land Registry fee, cost of further application to obtain an order for sale.

Attachment of Earnings

To include: making application to appropriate court, preparing accompanying documentation, forwarding debtor’s response, copying any correspondence as necessary.

Our fixed fee: £95 - Not inclusive of Court fee, affidavit fees, conduct money.

Insolvency Proceedings

Statutory Demand (individual or company after judgment entered)

To include drafting appropriate form, arranging for personal service, advising of completion of personal service and copying any correspondence where necessary.

Our fixed fee: £250 - Not inclusive of process servers charges, costs of dealing with any application to set aside the demand.

Bankruptcy Proceedings/Winding Up Petition

A note of our fees will be provided upon request.

Please note:  All fees quoted are exclusive of  VAT at the prevailing rate. Correspondence and telephone calls which do not form part of our debt recovery service (ie. Instructing tracing agents) will be charged at the hourly rate of £145 plus VAT. Defended actions will be charged at the hourly rate of the fee earner dealing with the matter. This ranges from £145 to £260 plus VAT depending upon seniority and experience.

2.0 Timescales

  • The letter before action is sent within 2 days of instruction
  • After expiration of the letter before action,  you will be contacted to discuss further steps
  • Court proceedings will be drafted for approval within 2 days of confirmation of instructions from client
  • Proceedings take 7-14 days to be issued and served by the court
  • Judgment is 14 days after service unless defended
  • Most debt recovery matters are concluded within 1-3 weeks of initial instruction without the need for court action.

Contact us to discuss our services in more detail and provide an initial quotation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Download a copy of ourDebt Recovery Charges here.

Our Experts

Rebecca Page

Debt Recovery Manager
Debt Recovery

Nicola Webster

Senior Associate Solicitor
Dispute Resolution

Lee Quickenden

Associate (FCILEx)
Dispute Resolution

RELATED CONTENT

Testimonials

Very professional and personable service from beginning to resolution, was kept informed at all times of the process what was happening/what needed to happen along with any costs that were likely to be incurred.
Anonymous