Business Debt Collection

Commercial Debt Collection Solicitors in Yorkshire

Most businesses are forced to spend a significant amount of time collecting late payments. These efforts are often ineffective, and maximising your turnover alone isn’t enough. All businesses need to have an efficient procedure to collect payments owed.

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Recover outstanding debt for your business

Late payments or non-payment of debts can cause huge damage to any business, large or small. In some circumstances the failure to collect a number of small but significant debts in itself, may cause a business to fail. Furthermore, a failure to collect in debts quickly can lead to unnecessary cash flow difficulties. An effective method of commercial debt recovery is therefore a fundamental cornerstone of any commercial enterprise.

Why Choose Crombie Wilkinson?

Our team of debt recovery solicitors specialise in providing cost effective debt collection for both large and small businesses. We work hard to recover outstanding debts quickly and effectively, always with the aim to avoid court action if possible.

Crombie Wilkinson’s debt recovery solicitors can help organisations of all sizes, including commercial businesses, local authorities, and individuals.

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How do you deal with customers who won’t pay?

If a customer has failed to make payment of an invoice, there are several ways to try and recover commercial debt. The appropriate action to take will depend on the size of the debt and your ability to prove that you are owed the money.

The need for business debt collection in the first place can be reduced by invoicing effectively. Businesses should make sure invoices are accurate and ensure the payment terms are clearly set out, showing the date by which payment is due.

If an invoice has not been paid, the first and most basic step is to contact the debtor by telephone or by writing to remind them that payment is overdue. Do not delay making this contact!

In any business debt collection letter it’s important to include the following information:

• Provide the date by which you expect to receive payment (e.g. give the debtor seven days only to pay)
• Advise the debtor that interest will become payable on the outstanding debt
• Request the debtor to state what issues, if any, the debtor has with the invoice/goods or services provided that might explain their non-payment
• Provide details of what action you will take next if payment isn’t received by the specified date.

How our debt recovery letters work

If the debtor ignores your correspondence you may wish to consider obtaining a solicitor’s letter before action.

A basic debt recovery letter from a solicitor can be a very cost effective and quick way of recovering outstanding debts. It is reported that as many as 71% of debtors make payment upon receipt of a solicitor’s letter. Usually for a fixed fee, a solicitor will write to the debtor on your behalf. You can learn more about our pricing here.

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Collecting business debt through Court

If the debtor fails to settle the debt after you have written to them and/or they have received a solicitor’s letter; or if they dispute the debt, there are still options available to you before considering taking action through the Courts.

Our debt recovery solicitors will try to help you avoid court if possible. This is because court proceedings to recover debts can be time consuming and expensive, especially when compared to the value of the debt you are trying to recover. Other alternatives to court action include independent arbitration, mediation and ombudsman schemes - known collectively as ‘alternative dispute resolution’ (ADR).

If despite all your efforts, the debtor still refuses to make payment or seeks to avoid payment on spurious grounds, consideration should be given to taking action through the Courts. You can claim interest at 8% per annum on the debt amount from the date payment became due.

Ensuring debts are quickly and effectively followed up as soon as they become overdue can avoid the need for more time consuming and costly action for you and your business further down the line. There is overwhelming evidence that the longer the invoice remains unpaid the less likelihood there is of recovery!

If you would like to know more about what you can do to recover outstanding debts, please do not hesitate to contact debt recovery solicitor Neil Largan, solicitor in our Dispute Resolution at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors.

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