Guide to Debt Recovery Costs
Our debt recovery team can help you with debt collection nationwide.
The price guide below shows the costs and work typically involved at the different stages of the debt collection process. The prices are based on undisputed debts and are a general guide so please get in touch with us to discuss your specific circumstances.
We are very happy to provide you with a tailored quote and talk through your options.
Pre-Action Letter
For straight forward debt recovery claims where an invoice has not been paid, we can write to the debtor requesting payment. This is known as a Pre-Action Letter and we offer a fixed fee for this service.
Our fixed fee depends on the value of the invoice as follows:
| Value within Invoice | Fixed Fee |
| Up to £1,000 | £75 plus VAT (£90 incl VAT) |
| £1,000.01 – £5000 | £100 plus VAT (£120 incl VAT) |
| £5,000.01 – £10,000 | £125 plus VAT (£150 incl VAT) |
| Over £10,000 | £150 plus VAT (£180 incl VAT) |
The typical timescale for issuing a Pre-Action Letter is 48 hours.
If your matter is more complex, we will be able to provide you with an estimate of the time and cost before proceeding.
There is a Pre-Action protocol for debt collection, which dictates that Pre-Action letters to individuals must give 30 days for a response, and 14 days for a company debt. After that period, if payment is not received, or a suitable offer for repayment received, you will be in a position to issue a Court claim against the debtor.
Statutory Demand
Alternatively, you may wish us to issue a Statutory Demand against your debtor instead of a Pre-Action Letter. This is the initial threat of Bankruptcy or Winding Up proceedings. We can advise you on this further and the relevant procedure if you decide you wish to follow this route.
Issuing a court claim
If we have issued a Pre-Action Letter and you have not received a satisfactory outcome from the debtor at stage 1, you may wish us to issue a claim at Court.
We offer a fixed fee for issuing a straight forward debt claim for an unpaid invoice. On top of our fee you will also need to pay the court fee and the amount you pay depends on the value of the claim and the way it is issued. Typically we file via Secure Data Transfer (SDT) as this is cheaper.
| Value of the claim | Court fee payable if Court issued claim* | Our fee |
| Up to £300 | £35 | £135 + VAT (£162 incl VAT) |
| £300 – £500 | £50 | £135 + VAT (£162 incl VAT) |
| £500 – £1000 | £70 | £200 + VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| £1000 – £1500 | £80 | £250 + VAT (£300 incl VAT) |
| £1500 – £3000 | £115 | £275 + VAT (£330 incl VAT) |
| £3000 – £5000 | £205 | £300 + VAT (£360 incl VAT) |
| £5000 – £10,000 | £455 | £350 + VAT (£420 incl VAT) |
| £10,000 – £100,000 | 5% of the value of the claim | Assessed on a case by case basis |
| £100,000 – £150,000 | 5% of the value of the claim | Assessed on a case by case basis |
| £150,000 – £200,000 | 5% of the value of the claim | Assessed on a case by case basis |
| Over £200,000 | £10,000 | Assessed on a case by case basis |
* fees for MCOL (Money Claim Online) and court are now the same as of 18th May 2021
Only a certain percentage of the fees stated above is recoverable from your debtor and this ranges depending on the value of the debt and the number of defendants. We will be able to advise you further on this once we understand the specifics of your individual matter.
If the claim becomes defended, hourly rates will apply and we will discuss likely costs, court fees and time involved accordingly. Further details on our hourly rates can be found in the Hourly Rate section below.
If your debtor fails to respond to the claim form, or responds with a suitable offer of repayment of the debt due, you are then in a position to apply for Judgment and in this case we will advise you of the costs applicable.
Enforcement
Should the debt remain outstanding after judgment has been obtained, there are several enforcement options to consider.
We will assess and advise the most appropriate route to take depending on the individual circumstances. Some of the options possible are outlined below.
| Action taken | Court fee | Our fee |
| Application for an order for a debtor to attend Court to provide information (to include Directors of Limited Companies) | £59 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| To request Bailiff service of an order for a debtor or other person to attend Court to provide information | £119 | Assessed on a case by case basis |
| Attachment of earnings order | £119 per defendant (a fee of 10p for every £, or part £ of money paid into Court is deducted from the money before it is paid out to the creditors) | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| To transfer County Court Judgment to High Court | £71 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| Writs (control possession or delivery of goods) | £71 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| Charging order | £119 (per charging order) | £275 plus VAT (£330 incl VAT) |
| Issue of a warrant of control via Money Claims Online or County Court Business Centre | £77 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| Issue a warrant of control by other means | £83 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| Issue a warrant for delivery of goods | £130 | £200 plus VAT (£240 incl VAT) |
| Request a further attempt to execute a warrant at a new address (except where a warrant has been suspended) | £33 | Charged on an hourly rate basis |
| Third party debt order | £119 | Charged on an hourly rate basis |
| Judgment Summons | £119 | Charged on an hourly rate basis |
| Application for the enforcement of an award for a sum of money or other decision made by the Court | £47 | Charged on an hourly rate basis |
At Brindley Twist Tafft & James our legal fees are normally charged at an hourly rate. Our hourly rate ranges from £190 plus VAT (£228 incl VAT) per hour up to £350 plus VAT (£420 incl VAT) per hour. The rate is dependent on the experience of the lawyer in charge of the matter as follows:
John Ward is the head of the Litigation Department and also a Partner of BTTJ. He has 20 years of debt recovery experience and is also an accredited Mediator. John will typically lead on high value and complex matters. Click here to read more about John.
Lauren is a Legal Apprentice and is currently working under the supervision of John. Click here to read more about Lauren.
Where we charge on an hourly basis, we will be able to give you an estimate of our costs when we first discuss the work with you. Whenever further work is required, we will always give you updated cost estimates and likely timescales involved and we will provide guidance on the most cost-effective options available.
We do not normally offer CFAs.
Please note that the VAT payable on our fee is not recoverable from your debtor if they are VAT registered.
You may also find that interest and compensation take the debt owed into a higher banding thus incurring higher costs.
If counsel is required we will advise you of the fees accordingly. Counsel fees vary depending on the complexity of the case and the seniority of counsel.
All of the information we have provided on costs above is a general guide so please do get in touch with us for a more precise and personalised quote based on your specific circumstances.
We can help with your recovery of debts on a nationwide basis and provide pragmatic advice tailored to your particular situation.