Civil Dispute Cost Calculator

Debt Recovery Costs

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Formal Letter of Claim (chasing payment and setting out the debt) £100 + VAT.

The cost will increase if there are numerous invoices / paperwork to review and sort out.

Statutory Demand for Payment £250 + VAT (again this price will increase if there are numerous invoices / paperwork to review and sort out.

Court Action

A debt up to £10,000.00 is classified as a small claim. You cannot recover legal costs back (except court fees) from the other side even if you win your case. We will aim to keep solicitors barrister fees to an absolute minimum in small claims matters.

Drafting of court documents £400 + VAT.

Brief to Counsel and hearing bundle £300 + VAT.

Counsel’s fees are usually around £350 + VAT for attendance at a small claims hearing.

Of course if you wish to handle the small claim yourself to keep costs down, we are able to check your documents before they are filed at court. The cost of this would be at an hourly rate of £200 + VAT.

If the claim value is above £10,000.00 it will be a fast track or a multi-track case and a portion of the legal costs are recoverable from the other side if your claim succeeds. We would typically ask counsel to draft up the pleadings and would obtain a quotation for you upon request.

Our costs are not on a fixed fee basis but on an hourly rate of £200 + VAT.

A typical Fast Track matter costs between £10,000.00 to £14,000.00 +VAT.

A typical Multi Track matter costs between £25,000.00 to £30,000.00 + VAT.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed 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 various stages of a claim would include:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Sending a letter before action
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and a issuing court claim
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within 21 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Please note that matters usually take an average of 4 weeks from receipt of initial instructions from you, to receipt of payment from the other side. This is of course dependent on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim.

If a claim is issued and a judgment is obtained, we would hope that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.