Debt Recovery Fees
If you or your organisation is owed a debt by an individual or another organisation, our specialist debt recovery solicitors in London and Belfast can assist you in recovering the debt – whether you are owed a debt for goods or services. Contact our experienced lawyers today for advice.
Court Claims
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.
Debt value |
Court fee |
Fixed fee (ex. VAT) |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Up to £5,000 |
£205 |
£500 - £850 (depending on complexity) |
From £705 |
|
£5,001 - £10,000 |
£455 |
£750 - £1,200 (depending on complexity) |
From £1,205 |
|
£10,001 - £50,000 |
5% value of the claim |
15% value of the claim |
20% of claim value |
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 court cost.
- The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as instructing a court bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
Our fee includes:
- 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 issuing claim
- Where no Acknowledgement of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter a Judgement in default
- When Judgement in Default in received, write to the other side to request payment
- If payment is not received within 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
- Any further work in line with next steps advice is not included
Simple debt collection as outlined above usually takes between 4 to 6 weeks from receipt of your instructions to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly, whether in response to a Letter Before Claim or on receipt of Judgement in Default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
Disbursements
Please note that there are disbursements including court fees that can be found here. There may be other disbursements but we will outline prior to organising.
Debt Recovery Services (Claims Up To £100,000)
Oracle Law Global assists businesses in recovering outstanding commercial debts up to a value of £100,000. Our team adopts a structured and proportionate approach, with the aim of achieving recovery efficiently and with minimum disruption to the client’s business operations.
All fees on this page are quoted exclusive of VAT at 20%. The VAT element and total payable are shown in full in each table below. This page applies to undisputed commercial debts where the debtor is identified, located in England and Wales, and no enforcement action is required beyond the stages set out below. Where a debt becomes defended, or complex enforcement is required, a revised cost estimate will be provided and agreed before further work is undertaken.
Standard fee structure — uncontested matters
Stage |
Estimated fee (excl. VAT) |
VAT (20%) |
Total payable |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Letter Before Action |
£500 |
£100 |
£600 |
|
Issuing County Court claim (up to £25,000) |
£800 |
£160 |
£960 |
|
Issuing County Court claim (up to £50,000) |
£1,000 |
£200 |
£960 |
|
Issuing County Court claim (£75,001–£100,000) |
£1,500 |
£300 |
£1,800 |
|
Obtaining judgment in default |
£500 |
£100 |
£600 |
|
Enforcement (warrant of control / charging order) |
£500 |
£100 |
£600 |
Upper cost limit: For a standard uncontested matter proceeding through all stages above, excluding disbursements, the upper estimated limit of our legal fees is £3,500 (inclusive of VAT) for debts up to £25,000, £4,500 (inclusive of VAT) for debts between £25,001 and £75,000, and £6,000 (inclusive of VAT) for debts between £75,001 and £100,000.
Court fees (HMCTS — not subject to VAT)
Claim value |
HMCTS court fee (payable in addition) |
|---|---|
|
Up to £300 |
£35 |
|
£300.01–£500 |
£5 |
|
£500.01–£1,000 |
£70 |
|
£1,000.01–£1,500 |
£80 |
|
£1,500.01–£3,000 |
£115 |
|
£3,000.01–£5,000 |
£205 |
|
£205 |
£455 |
|
£10,000.01–£100,000 |
5% of the value of the claim |
Other disbursements
Additional disbursements may include tracing agent fees (where the debtor’s whereabouts require verification), process server fees, and enforcement agent fees. Each disbursement will be itemised and confirmed before it is incurred. VAT will be applied to disbursements where applicable, and both the net amount and the total payable will be stated clearly.
Key stages and timescales
For a standard uncontested debt, the process typically takes between 10 and 15 weeks from initial instruction to judgment in default. Enforcement timescales depend on the method employed and the debtor’s cooperation. The key stages are as follows.
- Letter Before Action — Formal demand issued to the debtor, allowing a minimum of 30 days for payment or substantive response (Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims).
- Issuing proceedings — County Court claim issued where no satisfactory response is received. The debtor has 14 days to acknowledge service and a further 14 days to file a defence.
- Default judgment — Where no defence is filed, judgment is obtained by default without the need for a hearing.
- Enforcement — Options include a warrant of control (bailiff enforcement), a charging order over property, an attachment of earnings order, or a third-party debt order. The most appropriate method is recommended having regard to the debtor's known circumstances.
Factors that may increase cost or extend timescales
Additional costs may arise where the debtor files a defence or counterclaim, insolvency proceedings are relevant, the debtor cannot be located without a tracing agent, or enforcement proves unsuccessful at first instance. Each of these circumstances will be identified and communicated as soon as it becomes apparent, with a revised cost estimate confirmed before any further steps are taken.
-
Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn
London WC1V 7QH
United Kingdom
- (+44) 020-3051-5060
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