Debt Recovery Indicative Pricing
We accept that most people don’t want to see a lawyer and to do so is the very last resort. With that in mind, we will take the time to listen to you and tailor our recommendations to your specific set of circumstances.
We have a dedicated team of civil court lawyers who have in-depth experience of all forms of dispute resolution. We have experience in the conduct of proceedings in the Sheriff Court; Court of Session; and the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing & Property Chamber). We can also advise on alternative forms of dispute resolution such as Arbitration and Mediation.
One of the most common type of instruction received is for debt recovery. However, given the nature of this type of work and the fact that every case is different, we cannot offer fixed fees. Our fees are based upon the time spent and that time will vary depending upon the complexity of the particular case. Following upon being instructed, a detailed Terms of Engagement Letter will be provided, which will outline in detail, how your file will be feed and at what hourly rate.
In an attempt to give you an idea of how much it will cost to obtain a court decree (order for payment) on an undefended basis, we have outlined below an example of the work involved in a straight forward case involving the recovery of sums up to £20,000. This example is for illustration purposes only.
Debt Recovery Case Example:
- A letter of demand was drafted and sent to the debtor by recorded delivery;
- After the debtor failed to respond, the court papers were drafted and lodged with the Sheriff Court for Warranting;
- Service was effected upon the Defender (or debtor) by way Recorded Delivery;
- The Defender failed to lodge any response and we proceeded to apply for decree;
- The Sheriff Court issued the decree and after reviewing same, we were in a position to instruct Sheriff Officers to carry out enforcement action.
Many cases are settled without resorting to court action. In such cases, we would expect the fee to be around £100 + VAT. This would include reviewing the papers; issuing the letter of demand; and receiving payment. In the example above, the debtor failed to engage at all and the fee charged was £500 + VAT and outlays. The outlays included Sheriff Court fees, which can be found at https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/rules-and-practice/fees/sheriff-court-fees. This fee excludes subsequent enforcement action.
If you would like more information on how our Litigation Team can help you, please contact us on 01224 332 400 or by emailing peter.littlejohn@raeburns.co.uk / aaron.doran@raeburns.co.uk
