DEBT
Charges for debt recovery
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Our Charges for Debt recovery are based on the principal of a fixed fee agreed in advanced up to and until a case in which Court proceedings have been started becomes contested. Thereafter, our time will be charged based on an hourly rate for the amount of time required to deal with your matter. We will provide you with an estimation and keep you updated on costs as the matter progresses. Details of our hourly rates are given below.
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All fees apply to the point of obtaining a Court Judgment; thereafter assistance with enforcing the Judgment and recovering payment are additional charges usually as a percentage of the sum recovered.
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All charges are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate at the time the work is undertaken;
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The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor;
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Fees are subject to annual review and may be varied by agreement according to the urgency and complexity of the work;
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The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt;
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In addition to our fees you will be liable for Disbursements, which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties (for example Court Fees, search fees, barrister’s fees) will be discussed and explained before they are incurred;
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If additional or exceptional work is identified, then the costs are likely to increase, but we will always keep you informed and updated before any increased costs are incurred;
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Payments on account of costs, monthly billings and advance payment of disbursements may be required by arrangement;
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All cases are dealt with in accordance with the Pre-action protocol for Debt actions, which requires that the debtor be given 30 days to respond to a compliant letter before action;.
Before a matter is referred to court to commence court proceedings (pre-issue), the following rates will apply:-
HOURS & LOCATION
Location
Registered office and practice address:
AMS SOLICITORS PRESTON
1B Fairways Office Park,
Pittman Way,
Preston,
PR2 9LF
Tel: 01772 653 333
Fax: 01772 653 443
Link to Court Services website:
Court fees:
Debt pre-action Protocol:
https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/pdf/protocols/debt-pap.pdf
Our fee includes:
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Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation;
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Undertaking appropriate searches;
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Sending a letter before action;
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Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim;
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Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default;
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When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment;
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If payment is not received within 31 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs;
In a straightforward claim matters usually take 15 to 18 weeks from receipt of instructions from you 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 on receipt of Judgement in default. If the debt is contested or enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
A contested action will usually take 2 to 4 hours to Judgment and this estimate will include mandatory mediation.
Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All cases are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.
>> Find out if you have a case, use the Live chat feature now <<
Hours
Monday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
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We are contactable 24/7. Just use the form above and we will get in touch with you.
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