Pricing.
Fixed-stage fees for recovering an undisputed business debt of up to £100,000, plus the court fees that apply.
Fees last reviewed June 2026
How our debt recovery fees work
This page covers our fees for recovering an undisputed business-to-business debt of up to £100,000. We work in fixed stages, so you only pay for the next step if the debt is still unpaid. If the debt is disputed, the matter becomes a contested case — see below.
Stage 1 — Letter before action
We review your paperwork and send a formal letter before action that complies with the Pre-Action Protocol, then deal with any payment or payment proposal that follows.
| Debt | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £526 + VAT (£360) |
| £5,001 to £100,000 | £350 + VAT (£420) |
Stage 2 — Issuing a claim
If the debt is still not paid, we draft and issue a court claim, deal with any admission or request for time, and apply for judgment if there is no response. A court fee is payable on top of our fee (see the table below).
| Debt | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £275 + VAT (£330) |
| £5,001 to £10,000 | £450 + VAT (£540) |
| £10,001 to £100,000 | 5.5% of the debt + VAT |
Court fees
The court charges a fee to issue a claim, based on the amount owed. These fees are set by the court, carry no VAT, and are recoverable from the debtor if your claim succeeds.
| Amount claimed | Court fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £526 | £35 |
| £526.01 to £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,000.01 to £100,000 | 5% of the amount claimed |
Issuing the claim online, where available, is slightly cheaper for smaller debts.
Interest and compensation
On most business debts you can also claim interest and a fixed compensation sum under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Adding these can move the debt into a higher band, which we will point out before we issue.
What is not included
The fees above are for undisputed debts. They do not cover a disputed or defended claim, enforcing a judgment once you have it, or tracing a debtor who has moved. If the debt is disputed at any stage, it becomes a contested matter, which we charge on a time-spent basis — we will give you a written estimate before any further work.
Key stages
- Letter before action We send a formal demand and deal with the response.
- Issuing a claim If unpaid, we draft and issue a court claim.
- Judgment We apply for judgment if the debt is admitted or there is no response.
- Enforcement If needed, we advise on enforcing the judgment — charged separately.
How long it takes
An undisputed debt is often recovered within 4 to 10 weeks, depending on how quickly the debtor responds. A defended claim takes longer — usually 6 to 12 months for a smaller claim, and up to 18 months for a larger or more complex one.
If you are ever unhappy with our service, our client care and complaints page explains how to raise it.
Commercial Debt Recovery
Read more about recovering what your business is owed.
Who will do your work
Your matter is handled by an experienced member of our team and supervised by a senior solicitor. Here is who you would be working with.
Talk to us about your matter
Confidential, no pressure, and we will explain what is involved before you commit to anything.