Thank you for looking at our Debt Recovery services. Debts can arise in all walks of life and we regularly advise and assist businesses and individuals alike.
The bulk of our debt recovery instructions come from businesses across various sectors. With many years of experience and strong expertise in litigation both in and out of court, our debt recovery service is fast, efficient and economical.
Why Us
We have an experienced team who can assist you with recovering both disputed and undisputed debts. This page covers our pricing for undisputed debt recovery – please get in touch to find out more about our fee structure for pursuing disputed debts. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer care skills enabling you to send out the right message and retain the goodwill of your customers whilst recovering outstanding payments.
We can offer you clear, practical advice and will discuss all the options available to establish the most appropriate way of dealing with debtors. We have tried and tested processes in place to ensure we can recover undisputed debts quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, with transparent fixed fees.
We are proud to hold Lexcel Accreditation, issued by the Law Society. This involves the firm undergoing a rigorous audit process which ensures we maintain high levels of client care.
Pricing
We appreciate that the fees involved in debt recovery are important to you. We review our fees on a regular basis, considering client’s feedback, to ensure we continue to offer a cost-effective debt recovery service.
We typically work on a fixed fee basis, so that from the outset you know what the fees will be for your transaction. These costs apply for unpaid and undisputed payment of invoice(s).
If during the debt recovery process, the matter becomes disputed or enforcement action is required (where you need to appoint a bailiff), we will discuss the change in fees with you and agree a way forward.
We offer both fixed fees and hourly rates, whereby you will be charged for each hour of work undertaken.
The hourly rates charged are
Partner - £285 + VAT
Associate Solicitor/Filex - £255 + VAT
Senior Executive - £220 + VAT
Paralegal - £160 + VAT
Trainee - £160 + VAT
Assistants - £90 + VAT
When claiming costs from the debtor, it is important to note that the VAT element of any fees cannot be claimed. You can claim interest and compensation and we will advise you of the applicable rates.
Fees
Detailed below are the fees that Symes Bains Broomer Solicitors will charge for the two stages a debt case may pass through from letter before action to judgment, assuming it is undefended. A debtor may pay the debt at the first stage, thus making the second stage unnecessary. All fees quoted are subject to VAT.
There will be a Court fee payable to commence a Claim. This fee varies according to the value of the claim and is payable by the client in advance unless other arrangements have been agreed. Details of the Court Fees payable are given below.
Claim not exceeding | £300 | £500 | £1,000 | £1500 | £3000 | £5,000 | £10,000 | £200,000 or more |
Fee payable | £35 | £50 | £70 | £80 | £115 | £205 | £455 | 5% of value of claim up to £10,000 |
The work that we will carry out on your behalf in each of the two stages is as follows:
1) Preparation and service of a letter before action
We will take instructions from the client and open a file; write a letter before action to the debtor; receive any offer made and pass to client and/or report to the client at expiry of the time limit.
Fee - £70.00
2) Issue of Proceedings
We will obtain all relevant information from the client regarding invoices raised, including dates, values, payment terms, contract interest rates applicable; complete the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim; issue proceedings in the County Court; monitor and obtain a Default Judgment if the Defendant neither defends nor admits; receive payment (if forthcoming) and account to the client for any balance.
Fee - £100.00
The costs of each stage are cumulative. Hence, if a matter progresses through to the issue of a Claim, the total legal fees involved will be £170 plus VAT, plus the disbursement.
The fixed fees stated above are limited to the work described. Any additional work that is necessary over and above the listed items will be charged in addition to the fixed fee at our prevailing rates, details of which are available on request. Such additional work might include entering into negotiations with a debtor or brokering a periodic payment plan.
The second stage is limited to obtaining judgment in default of a defence. In the event that a case becomes defended, any work involved in dealing with continuing the disputed claim will be chargeable at our prevailing rates and an estimate as to the likely costs involved will be given at that time.
Any work required to enforce a judgment, whether default or otherwise, will also be subject to further fees at our prevailing rates. Estimates as to the cost of enforcement can be given on request.
Exclusions
Our fees are fixed and include items detailed above, however there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.
Factors that may lead to an increase in cost include:
- Enforcement proceedings
- Instructing a Bailiff
Time Scales
A typical debt recovery will take between 8 - 10 weeks, from instruction through to payment from the other side. This may be quicker or longer depending on whether we are required to issue a claim and whether the other side pay promptly on receipt of any Judgment issued by a court. As detailed above, if enforcement action is required, we will discuss the fees and timescales involved.
Key Milestones
With every transaction there are key milestones, which may vary according to individual circumstances. Our fee will include these milestones and may be as follows:
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
- Undertaking appropriate searches
- Issuing a letter before action requesting payment from the debtor
- Receiving payment and sending this on to you
- Drafting and issuing a claim form to the relevant court if the debt is not paid
- Applying to the court to enter a Judgment in Default if the debtor fails to respond to court proceedings
- Contacting the other side to request payment where a Judgment in Default has been issued by the court
All our staff are supervised. Please visit our staff profiles pages on our website under the header ‘Our People’ or in ‘Services for you’ and clicking on ‘meet the team’ for more information including details of qualification and experience