Debt Recovery

Our commercial Debt and Asset Recoveries team can assist your business with maximising cash flow cost-effectively and, in conjunction with your in-house credit control and finance functions, provide a spectrum of services that comprise expert, cost efficient and flexible debt recovery solutions.

As a professional service, we differ from debt collection agencies and law firms that lack the expertise and authority to pursue legal action. We specialise in comprehensive debt collection strategies that go beyond a single demand letter.

Our specialised software enables us to maintain our exceptional level of service for both individual debt collection cases and larger volume instructions. It allows us to handle large quantities of cases with the same precision and care as we would with one-off situations, ensuring our clients receive the best possible results.

Key debt recovery services

• Reconciliation & Auditing – assisting you in reviewing current processes, systems and controls related to cash-flow management, credit control and management of litigation/debt recovery when required.
• An extension to your credit control provision – helping you either temporarily or in the longer-term to offer early arrears credit control.
• A ‘triage’ style full or part review of your debt ledger, collegiately assisting your team to review cases at the pre-legal stage as to their readiness for court action. If you “in-house” your recoveries, then we can help save wasted court fees.
• Pre-litigation telephone reconciliation and due diligence solutions: assisting you with resolving queries ahead (or instead) of issuing proceedings, due diligence assessments determining what the most cost-effective method of progressing will be; income and expenditure assessments and payment plan set-up and monitoring.
• Insolvency – from bankruptcy to winding up, we work very closely with our Corporate Recovery & Insolvency team and can support your needs from bespoke high-profile instructions to volume requirements.
• Volume litigation support in circumstances where your own in-house team remains involved and we advise from instruction through to judgment and enforcement.

Debt recovery work examples

• Recovering 3 years’ worth of debts from a major supermarket for a bakery supplier, upon threat of winding up the supermarket.
• Pursuing an African company through the English courts to enforce/recover a debt obtained in Africa.
• Recovering a large debt for a motor parts supplier from a customer who attempted to evade the debt by closing and reopening business/companies.
• Obtaining settlement at mediation of a large payment from an international bank under a complex services supply agreement.
• Acting for an invoice finance and factoring company specifically tailored for the recruitment industry. We overcame a defence and counterclaim involving allegations of incompetent and unqualified staff. We obtained a 100% recovery on behalf of the client by successfully proving incorporation and acceptance of the terms of business.

Specialist experience in the recruitment sector

In addition to acting for the largest invoice-financier in the recruitment industry, we also act for in excess of 170 agencies in matters ranging from:

• undisputed debt recovery arising from unpaid invoices;
• disputed invoices and claims arising therefrom;
• acting for both former employer agencies and former consultants in injunctive proceedings.

Charges

Please see our Charging Structure for details of our charges for this service.

In-House Counsel

Our team of experienced lawyers is well-equipped to support you in various ways. Whether you require advice on a specific issue, additional resources due to capacity constraints, or a second opinion, we are here to help. Explore our legal counsel page for more information and details on our schedule of seminars, specifically designed for in-house counsel.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

• Over the telephone
• Via video conferencing
• In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.