Debt Recovery
We work with both large and small corporations to recover business debts and provide practical advice to help you recover maximum amount of debt cost efficiently and as quickly as possible.
Businesses with stringent, secure, and robust systems for invoices and chasing overdue payments, will sometimes have to consider legal action as a mode of recovering debt.
We are considerate, professional, and fair in our approach, but ultimately need to protect the interests of our clients and their businesses.
As part of our debt recovery, we provide the following services:
- Asset/debtor trace reports
- Company checks reports
- Debt collection
- Mediation and Arbitration
- Letters of claim and statutory demands issuing legal proceedings
- Obtaining and enforcing judgments
- Enforcement of debts, including bankruptcy and winding-up procedures
If you have concerns regarding a debt owed to you or you have been contacted by another party claiming that you owe them money, please contact our legal team for assistance.
Key Experience
Advised on a cross border shareholder settlement dispute involving a sum of £1,200,000 and a Put and Call Option Agreement (UK – Netherlands).
Advised a Lithuanian company in relation to the restructure of the company’s portfolio and assets in the sum of £5,200,000.
Drafted Cross Border Introducer Agreement (UK and California) for AstroFX an Educational Forex Trading Company.
Advised a Ramada Hotel franchise holder in relation to the acquisition of a hotel and various properties to form part of the group.
Please see below details of our Fees for Debt Recovery up to the value of £ 100,000.00. These costs apply to a business trying to recover a debt from another business that is undisputed.
Should you have any queries in relation to pricing, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information on 01277 226644 or by email info@rainerhughes.com
Fixed Fees
Fixed fees for the different stages of an unsecured and undisputed debt collection action of less than £100,000.00 are set out below. The actual fees for your matter could be more or less than this, depending on the volume of work and nature of the debt.
We will always agree and provide a quote that outlines the fixed fees with you at the start of our engagement.
If the other party disputes the claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required with you. We usually charge this work based on hourly rates, which are outlined below.
Stage | Our fee (excluding VAT) | Our Fee (including VAT@20%) | Court fee (no VAT) |
Before issuing your claim | |||
Solicitors letter | £ 35 | £ 42.00 | – |
Letter of Claim | £ 155 | £ 186.00 | – |
Pre-litigation Service & debtor contact strategy | £ 375 | £ 450.00 | – |
Issuing your claim and obtaining Default judgement | |||
Sum claimed does not exceed £250 | £ 200 | £ 240 | £ 35 |
Sum claimed exceeds £250 but not more than £500 | £ 200 | £ 240 | £ 50 |
Sum claimed exceeds £500 but not more than £1,000 | £ 200 | £ 240 | £ 70 |
Sum claimed exceeds £1,000 but not more than £1,500 | £ 300 | £ 360 | £ 80 |
Sum claimed exceeds £1,500 but not more than £3,000 | £ 400 | £ 480 | £ 115 |
Sum claimed exceeds £3,000 but not £5,000 | £ 450 | £ 540 | £ 205 |
Sum claimed exceeds £5,000 but not £10,000 | £ 500 | £ 600 | £ 455 |
Sum claimed exceeds £10,000 but not £15,000 | £ 650 | £ 780 | 5.0 % of value |
Sum claimed exceeds £10,000 but not £15,000 | £ 800 | £ 960 | 5.0 % of value |
Sum claimed exceeds 50,000 but not £100,000 | £ 1000 | £ 1200 | 5.0 % of value |
Entering default judgment | £ 100 | £ 120 | – |
VAT
Our fees are subject to VAT at the current rate of 20%. This rate may be subject to change. Court Fees are a disbursement that do not incur VAT.
Services included in above fixed Fees
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation.
- Conducting Searches were required.
- Sending the necessary correspondence.
- When judgment in default is received, writing to the other side to request payment.
- Receiving one off payments and remitting to you.
- Advising you on the next steps if payment is not received.
Additional Information regarding the above fixed Fees
The VAT element of our fee may not be claimed from your Debtor.
Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
The costs above are not applicable if the debt is disputed.
Hourly rates
For all work done on hourly rates, we provide a fully scoped cost estimate of our fees and disbursements at the start of our engagement and keep you updated on costs. If the scope of work changes at all and means additional work/cost, we inform you of this and provide you a revised costs estimate.
Fee Earner | TOTAL (excluding VAT) | TOTAL (including VAT@20%) |
Partners | £ 450.00 per hour | £ 540.00 per hour |
Associates | £ 300.00 per hour | £ 360.00 per hour |
Trainees | £ 200.00 per hour | £ 240.00 per hour |
Paralegals | £ 165.00 per hour | £ 198.00 per hour |
Court Fees
Court fees are subject to change. VAT does not apply to court fees. Where appropriate if we are instructed on bulks debts, issuing proceeding using the courts bulk issue services will reduce court fees.
A full list of court fees can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are
Likely timescales
Matters usually take 12-14 weeks from receipt of instructions from you.
Timescales will depend on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. In some cases, if the other side does not pay promptly on receipt of judgment in default, enforcement action may be needed, which will delay the matter, taking longer to resolve.
Our team
Our team of specialist Litigators have experience in dealing with Debt Management disputes. The team is led by Sanjay Panesar. Sanjay Panesar is the Partner responsible for the unsecured debt recovery work that we undertake, with over 14 years’ experience in this area.
Our team have experience in all aspects of debt recovery and we dedicate ourselves to ensuring our knowledge stays up to date, in order to give you the best service possible. They have between 1 and 14 years of experience in the area. We always make sure that junior Solicitors and members of staff are supported and supervised appropriately so that the quality of advice is not affected, regardless of who is working on your case.
We also employ 2 Paralegals who do much of the day to day work on cases.
Although they are not legally qualified, they have between 2 and 8 years’ experience and have received extensive training within our firm and work under the direct supervision of a Solicitor with at least 5 years post qualification experience.