Platt & Fishwick Solicitors

Civil disputes can arise from time to time, whether it be with a family member or neighbour, an employer or employee, or somebody you have done business with either commercially or as a private individual.

Court and Tribunal proceedings can be intimidating and difficult to follow. At Platt & Fishwick, we have wide experience of all kinds of disputes and are here to guide you through whatever type of case it might be.

The Courts regard litigation as a last resort and encourage parties to settle their disputes where they can, either by negotiation or some other form of alternative dispute resolution. At Platt & Fishwick we will advise you on the range of options open to you, with the experience and ability to take firm and decisive action as and when needed.

Our litigation department deals with all types of civil dispute including:

Business disputes

Employment claims for both employer and employee

Contractual disputes and consumer claims

All aspects of property litigation

Wills and Inheritance Act matters

Debt recovery

Price and Service Information

We offer a free initial interview to discuss and assess any kind of civil dispute including the possibilities open to you, what those options might cost and the range of methods of funding that might be available.

Recovery of Undisputed Debts

Letter of Claim

It is always advisable to send at least one letter before action even if the debt is not and cannot be disputed. We charge £50-£150 (excluding VAT) for this service although we are willing to discuss lower rates for established and/or regular clients.

Court Proceedings

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice or invoices which is/are not disputed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee or an hourly rate basis.

Debt value	Court fee	Our fee (incl. VAT)
Up to £5,000	£35-£205	£250 (excluding VAT)*
£5,001 - £10,000	£455	£250 (excluding VAT)*
£10,001 - £50,000	5% value of the claim	£400 (excluding VAT)

*£200 (excluding VAT) if we have been paid for a Letter of Claim.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

• There is strictly limited scope to recover our fee from your debtor although the Court fee is added to the debt
• The costs quoted above do not include enforcement action, such as instructing a bailiff to collect your debt
• There is strictly limited scope to recover our fee from your debtor although the Court fee is added to the debt
• The costs quoted above do not include enforcement action, such as instructing a bailiff to collect your debt

Our fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting, and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

All debt recovery work is undertaken by Mark Richardson who is a Partner with over 30 years' experience of civil litigation generally.

Matters usually take 6-8 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve, and you must bear in mind that recovery of a debt can never be guaranteed.