Debt recovery is often treated as an afterthought: a template letter, then silence. Our view is different. A well-run recovery begins with a careful reading of the paperwork, an honest assessment of whether the debtor can pay, and a plan that matches the size of the sum to the cost of pursuing it.

Alongside recovery work we give general legal advice and prepare wills for private clients. We act for sole traders, family businesses, professional firms, importers and exporters, and private individuals. Some clients come to us with a single overdue invoice. Others hand over a ledger of aged accounts. The approach is the same: establish what is owed, prove it, demand it, and collect it.

How we work

Most debts are settled before any court is involved. We prepare formal demands, negotiate payment plans, trace absent debtors, and present the evidence a debtor needs to see that payment is the sensible course.

Where proceedings become necessary, we prepare the matter and work alongside solicitors and barristers authorised to conduct litigation and appear in court, so that the case reaches them organised, evidenced and ready.

What we recover

• Unpaid invoicesSingle overdue accounts and aged-debt portfolios, from a few hundred pounds upward.
• Statutory interestInterest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 at 8% above Bank of England base rate, plus fixed compensation on each invoice.
• Disputed accountsAnalysis of the contract, delivery records and correspondence to answer quality and quantity disputes.
• Personal guaranteesClaims against directors and guarantors where a company cannot or will not pay.
• Statutory demandsPreparation and service of statutory demands on companies and individuals where the debt is undisputed.
• Insolvent debtorsProofs of debt, retention of title claims and dealings with administrators and liquidators.

Typical matters

• Private loansMoney lent to friends, family or acquaintances, whether or not the loan was written down.
• Unpaid feesProfessional and trade fees owed by private clients for completed work.
• Funds paid in errorPayments sent to the wrong account, overpayments, and money transferred under a mistake.
• Withheld depositsDeposits and advance payments not returned after a cancelled sale or service.
• TracingLocating debtors who have moved or stopped responding, using lawful tracing methods.

The pre-action stage

Before any claim is issued against an individual, the debtor must receive a Letter of Claim with an information sheet and reply form, and must be given 30 days to respond. Skipping this step can lead to costs penalties. We prepare these documents fully and manage the response period.

Services for traders

• Overseas buyersRecovery of unpaid export invoices through formal demand, negotiation and local correspondents in the debtor's country.
• Documentary creditsReview of rejected presentations and discrepancy notices under UCP 600, and pursuit of payment from issuing and confirming banks.
• Documentary collectionsDisputes over bills of exchange and collections handled under URC 522.
• Incoterms disputesAnalysis of where risk and cost passed under Incoterms® 2020 when goods are lost, damaged or refused.
• Credit insurance claimsPreparation of claims to trade credit insurers, with the evidence they require.
• Foreign judgmentsCoordinating recognition and enforcement of judgments abroad, and of foreign judgments in England.

Judgments across borders

Since 1 July 2025 the Hague Judgments Convention 2019 has been in force for the United Kingdom, giving a clearer route to recognising English money judgments in the EU and other contracting states. We advise on which route suits the debtor's jurisdiction before costs are incurred.

What makes a will valid

Under the Wills Act 1837, a will in England and Wales must meet each of these formal requirements. A will that misses one may fail entirely.

• In writingTyped or handwritten. Recorded messages and texts are not valid wills.
• SignedBy you, or by someone else in your presence and at your direction.
• Two witnessesBoth present at the same time when you sign or acknowledge your signature, and each then signs in your presence.
• Capacity and intentionYou must be 18 or over, understand what you are signing, and make the will freely.

Signing and witnessing must still take place in person. Remote video witnessing, allowed during the pandemic, ended in January 2024.

Points to consider

• WitnessesA witness, or the spouse or civil partner of a witness, loses any gift left to them in the will. Choose independent witnesses.
• MarriageMarriage or civil partnership cancels an existing will, unless the will was made in expectation of that marriage.
• DivorceAfter divorce, a former spouse is treated as if they had died before you, but the rest of the will stands. Review it.
• Unmarried partnersA partner you are not married to has no automatic right to inherit if you die without a will.
• ChildrenYou can appoint guardians for children under 18. Without a will, the court may decide who looks after them.
• ExecutorsName one or more people you trust to collect your assets, pay debts and distribute the estate, with a reserve in case one cannot act.
• Inheritance TaxThe standard nil-rate band is £325,000, with up to £175,000 more where a home passes to children or grandchildren. Gifts to a spouse or civil partner and to charity are generally exempt. The rate above the threshold is 40%.
• ClaimsFamily members and dependants who are not adequately provided for may bring a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Careful drafting reduces that risk.

Recovering your costs

On late commercial invoices, fixed compensation and reasonable recovery costs can often be added to the debt and claimed from the debtor. Where a matter goes to court, the court decides what costs the losing party pays; on smaller claims these are limited. We explain this before you commit to any stage.