Personal services
Dispute Resolution Solicitors in Manchester
A dispute can be costly and disruptive, whether you are an individual or a business. Our Manchester dispute resolution solicitors advise at every stage, from early negotiation to court proceedings, with a clear focus on resolving matters efficiently.
Our team is experienced at handling disputes at all levels. We can act for you if you are involved in a dispute as an individual or in the course of your business. We deal with all types of dispute, from small debt recovery claims to high-value claims in contract, negligence, insurance and other areas.
Fixed fee debt recovery
We offer a fixed fee service for unpaid invoices which are not disputed by the other party. Discounts for volume instructions can be agreed.
| Stage | Fee excluding VAT* |
|---|---|
| Reviewing initial documents, drafting and issuing our letter of claim | £200 |
| Preparing and issuing court proceedings | £250 |
| Applying to court for default judgment | £40 |
*VAT is payable at the standard rate, currently 20%.
Timeline
Our demand letters give individuals 30 days to respond; for companies this is 7 days. If court proceedings are issued, the timescales are:
| Stage | Timescale |
|---|---|
| Service of the claim on the debtor | 5 days |
| Deadline for the debtor to file an acknowledgment of service | 14 days |
| If no acknowledgment is filed, when we can apply for default judgment | 15 days |
| If an acknowledgment is filed, deadline for the debtor to file a defence* | 14 days |
*If the debtor files a defence, we will need further instructions on the disputed claim. Our fees will then be charged on a time-spent basis (see disputed debt recovery below).
These are approximate timescales. Factors that can affect them include how long the debtor takes to respond, whether the parties need more time to negotiate, how quickly the court processes paperwork, the availability of court dates, and whether the parties need more time for certain steps.
Likely fees for disputed claims
Disputed claims are charged on an hourly rate basis and vary with the complexity of the legal and factual issues and the amount of documents involved. As a guide, our fees for reviewing your initial paperwork and preparing a letter of claim would be in the region of £525 to £900 plus VAT.
Once we have reviewed your matter, we will give you an estimate of future costs and of any expenses we pay to others on your behalf, which may include court fees, expert witness fees and barristers' fees. These will be agreed with you in advance.
For debts up to £100,000, fees up to and including trial can range between £10,000 and £30,000 or more, but we will always discuss the cost and benefit of such fees with you.
| Level | Hourly rate excluding VAT* |
|---|---|
| Partners | £250 |
| Associate solicitors | £200 |
| Solicitors | £150 |
| Trainee solicitors | £100 |
*VAT is payable at the standard rate, currently 20%.
Disbursements and additional fees
Disbursements are fees you pay to others during the recovery process. They may include court fees, barristers' fees, experts' fees, process servers' fees and bailiff fees.
Court fees
When proceedings are issued, a court fee is payable in addition to our fees. It depends on the amount you are claiming, and there is no VAT on court fees. Court fees are set by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and change from time to time: see the current fees on GOV.UK. We will confirm the fee for your claim before we issue it.
Barristers and experts
Barristers' fees, experts' fees, process server fees and bailiff fees depend on the work they are instructed to do, and are estimated case by case. We will obtain estimates and seek your approval before instructing anyone on your behalf.
Disputed debt recovery
Our fixed fee debt recovery service is for undisputed debts only. Not all debt recovery matters are equal: recovering a disputed debt can be complex. If the debt becomes disputed, we will charge on an hourly rate basis, which we will discuss and agree with you.
There are additional stages in proceedings for a disputed debt. The court sets the deadlines as the matter proceeds, but we estimate the possible timescales as follows:
| Stage | Timescale |
|---|---|
| Up to and including issuing proceedings | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Up to and including the costs and case management conference | 8 weeks |
| Up to and including disclosure and inspection | 8 weeks |
| Up to service of witness statements and expert reports | 10 weeks |
| Up to and including the pre-trial review | 8 weeks |
| Up to trial | 8 weeks |
Call us on 0161 660 1505 for a free 30-minute consultation with one of our solicitors, email info@alliedsolicitors.co.uk, or send us an enquiry below for a confidential, no-obligation discussion about your claim.
Questions we are often asked
How much does debt recovery cost?
For undisputed debts we charge fixed fees: £200 to review the documents and send a letter of claim, £250 to issue court proceedings and £40 to apply for default judgment, all plus VAT.
What happens if the debt is disputed?
Disputed claims are charged on an hourly basis. As a guide, reviewing your paperwork and preparing a letter of claim would be in the region of £525 to £900 plus VAT.
How long does the debtor have to respond?
Our demand letters give individuals 30 days to respond and companies 7 days.
Do I have to pay a court fee?
Yes, when proceedings are issued. The fee depends on the amount you are claiming and is set by HM Courts and Tribunals Service. We confirm it before we issue.
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