How to recover a small debt
For the value of your debt, we recommend you try to recover the money owed to you through a county court.
Step 1: Starting a claim
If a business or person owes you money, you can apply to a county court either online or by post.
We recommend reading the guidelines on the government website where you will also find a link to an online form to start making a claim.
Step 2: Think about the costs
If you go to court, you will have to pay a court fee based on the amount you are claiming plus interest.
| Claim amount | Fees |
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 to £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000 | £455 |
Fees correct as of Nov 2023
If your claim moves to a court hearing or a judgement needs to be enforced, you will have to pay other fees later on too.
Step 3: Consider the alternatives
It is worth thinking about reaching an agreement with the person who owes you money, which will avoid or minimise these costs.
If you are struggling to come to an agreement, you could consider a mediation service instead. Mediation can be cheaper than going to court and possibly faster too. It involves appointing a neutral professional to help both sides work out a solution. Gov.UK has a link to a register of independent mediators and information about the fees they charge.
Larger debts of £5000 and more
For larger debts, our Fixed Fee Debt Recovery Scheme is designed to help businesses recover their unpaid invoices.
It is suitable for any undisputed invoice payable by a company or individual in England and Wales. Resorting to debt recovery is always undesirable, so we aim to offer the best value to your business. Your matter will be overseen by a solicitor and we offer fixed fees with no hidden charges.
The scheme is just one of the services that we offer; we can also help you with disputed debts, and can advise on your procedures or terms and conditions to help avoid problems in future.
Use our Simple Interest Calculator to find out how much interest the debt has accumulated.
