Costs and Service Information

Commercial Debt Recovery

If you are having issues recovering debts of your business then please feel free to contact us for a Free Initial Enquiry on 01629 56660 or make an Online Enquiry.

We would always recommend that you seek initial advice before bringing any claim for debt collection as there may be a more appropriate solution without court action.

Prices

Our costs information is set out generally below. For a bespoke quote relevant to your exact debt recovery details, please click here and enter your details and we will contact you. Please refer to our privacy policy for details of how we will use any information that you submit via the enquiry form on our website.

Please note that there will be two elements to the costs information set out below:

  1. Fees charged by Lovedays Solicitors. These are charged on the basis of hourly rates; and
  2. Fees payable to third parties.

Please ensure that you consider both parts of the costs information.

Fees charged by Lovedays Solicitors

It is always difficult to assess the level of costs in a litigation matter. The costs vary massively depending on the cause of action. It will also depend significantly on the response and conduct of the other side. When you are against a litigant in person (someone representing themselves) it is generally more expensive than if you are against a business.

If a matter was to go all the way to a final hearing, it will be more expensive than if they settle after the initial letter.

We have produced a break down to show a worked example of the costs incurred in a simple debt recovery litigation matter. This is for guidance only and should not be relied upon for the costs of a litigation matter.

If you are concerned with the level of costs involved, we can continue to a stage and then reconsider the costs and the prospects of success. Please note that once proceedings are issued then you may become liable for the defendant’s costs if you subsequently withdraw.

If your debt is more than £10,000 you may be able to recover a proportion of your costs from the defendant.

This example is where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed, and enforcement action is not needed. This calculation is on the basis that no response is received, and we can request judgement on your behalf.

If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice on the issue of costs.

Action Estimated Time Required Fee* VAT (20%) Total
Initial meeting Fixed fee £125.00 £25.00 £150
Searches, reviewing documents and initial correspondence 1 - 2 hours £215.00 - £430.00 £43.00 - £86.00 £258.00 - £516.00
Drafting letter of claim 2 - 3 hours £430.00 - £645.00 £86.00 - £129.00 £516.00 - £774.00
Pre-action correspondence 1 hour £215.00 £43.00 £258.00
Drafting proceedings 2 hours £430.00 £86.00 £516.00
Request for judgement 0.5 hour £107.50 £21.50 £129.00
TOTAL 6.5 - 8.5 hours £1,522.50 - £1,952.50 £304.50 - £390.50 £1,827.00 - £2,343.00

*Based on an hourly rate of £215

As stated above this is for guidance only on a simple matter. More complex matters will vary.

It is not possible to provide you with a definitive cost estimate for litigation matters as each case will turn on its own facts.

Please note that this is only the legal costs of Lovedays if you are unsuccessful in your litigation the court may order that you pay the other side’s costs on top of your own.

Fees payable to third parties (‘Disbursements’)

Value of the claim Issue fee*
Up to £300.00 £35.00
Greater than £300.00 but no more than £500.00

£50.00

Greater than £500.00 but no more than £1,000.00 >£70.00
Greater than £1,000.00 but no more than £1,500.00 £80.00
Greater than £1,500.00 but no more than £3,000.00 £115.00
Greater than £3,000.00 but no more than £5,000.00 £205.00
Greater than £5,000.00 but no more than £10,000.00 £455.00
Greater than £10,000.00 but no more than £100,000.00 5% of the value of the claim

*VAT is not payable on court issue fees

Work included and key stages

The precise work and stages involved in debt recovery matters vary according to the circumstances. However, we have set out the key stages involved in a typical claim:

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

Services excluded

Our services (within the scope of this costs information) will not include any of the following:

  • Settlement negotiations
  • Advice and action taken in respect of a defended claim.

Approximate/average timescales

The timescale will vary dependant on the response from the other side and also how busy the court is. Generally, we would hope to have requested judgement in the example shown above within 3 - 6 months

Qualifications and experience of our litigation team

Our litigation team includes:

Name Position Hourly rate (£) Experience
Jennifer Renshaw Solicitor, Head of Litigation and Employment £215.00 + VAT (20%) Admitted as a solicitor in 2007.
Adam Nash Litigation Executive £150.00 + VAT (20%) Started working in Litigation in 2019

Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Jennifer Renshaw who is a solicitor and the head of the litigation.

If you would like to find out more about our staff, please click here.


About Lovedays

Lovedays Solicitors, Potter and Co Solicitors and Andrew Macbeth Cash and Co Solicitors are the trading names of Derbyshire Legal Services Limited which is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 08838592. Registered office Sherwood House, 1 Snitterton Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3LZ.

Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA ID number 637916.

Contact
  • (01629) 582308
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  • Sherwood House
    1 Snitterton Road
    Matlock
    Derbyshire
    DE4 3LZ

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