Debt Recovery Solicitors

At Stephen Rimmer, we provide fast, efficient debt recovery services to businesses across Eastbourne, Hastings and the wider East Sussex area. We approach all debt matters with a commercial mindset and the understanding that handling debts effectively is a careful balancing act – on one hand, business relationships are important and burning bridges too quickly could negatively affect your business in the long-term; on the other hand, it is not good business practice to let too many debts go unpaid.

Our debt recovery solicitors can provide practical advice about the viability of pursuing your debts and help you take action. We have strong negotiating experience, and with our assistance, our clients are able to resolve most disputes through clear, firm communication. However, we are also fierce litigators and can provide advice on taking a wide range of debt recovery legal action where necessary.

How we can help your business with debt recovery 

Our expertise includes:

• Drafting and serving Letters Before Action to demand repayment of a debt
• Engaging in pre-action negotiations and advising you on the viability of settlement offers
• Investigating a debtor’s ability to repay and advising on the viability of legal action
• County Court money claims
• Enforcing County Court Judgments (CCJs) using County Court bailiffs
• Transferring CCJs to the High Court to authorise High Court Enforcement Officers to enforce the debt (Writs of Control)
• Seeking Charging Orders to secure debts over property
• Enforcing the sale of property to repay a debt
• Providing advice on insolvency procedures, including:
  • Advising on whether pursuing insolvency action is the right option for your business
  • Serving Statutory Demands
  • Bankruptcy petitions (to make an individual bankrupt)
  • Winding Up petitions (to make a company insolvent)
  • Moratoriums and restructuring procedures under the recently introduced Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 

Why choose our debt recovery solicitors?

We provide advice to all types of business, including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies of all sizes, from small to medium enterprises to large corporations. As well as advising businesses across East Sussex, we also regularly work with some of the largest companies in the UK on complex and high value commercial cases.

We are therefore suited to assist with all your debt recovery needs, whether the debtor simply needs a nudge from a solicitor or you are facing multifaceted defended legal proceedings. Our team are able to work efficiently in high pressure situations, often within tight deadlines and on flexible budgets. We are here to help whether you need our assistance for one debt recovery matter, you have a portfolio of debts that need recovering, or you are looking for a legal specialist to work on retainer. If you do require us for ongoing services, we are happy to discuss flexible rolling funding arrangements to suit your needs.

Consult our debt recovery lawyers in Eastbourne and Hastings

If your debtors cannot or will not repay their debts, contact a member of our team for a no obligation discussion:

• Call: 01323 434416
• Email: enquiries@stephenrimmer.com
• Or pay us a visit at 21 Lushington Road Eastbourne BN21 4LG

Our debt recovery services

Letters Before Action and pre-action negotiations

We will ensure that all matters are conducted strictly in accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims which sets out the required procedure. If you need to take legal action to recover a debt, the court will take your compliance with the Pre-Action Protocol into consideration so it is essential to take the necessary steps to try to settle out-of-court even if the debtor will not engage.

The Letter Before Action (also referred to as the Letter of Claim) is the first step to enforcing a debt. We will draft you a strong Letter Before Action that clearly sets out the basis of your claim, the amount you are owed and set deadlines for when you must be repaid.

We are skilled at negotiating on behalf of businesses and arranging the best possible settlement offers with debtors. We can also draft settlement contracts to put any agreement you come to in writing.

County Court claims

If pre-action negotiations are unsuccessful, we can provide advice about applying to court for a County Court Money Judgment. We are also skilled at handling defended claims, including complex and high value matters.

Enforcement action

We can provide advice on enforcing County Court Judgments (CCJs), including:

• Instructing County Court bailiffs to contact the debtor or visit their home or place of business to collect the debt
• Transferring a CCJ up to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court Enforcement Officer (a faster but more expensive form of enforcement than using County Court bailiffs)
• Applying to court for a Charging Order to secure the debt over the debtor’s property
• Applying for an Order for Sale to force the sale of property over which you have a Charging Order

Insolvency

If your debtor is unable to repay their debts, we can provide advice on starting insolvency proceedings. We can investigate the debtor’s financial circumstances and provide advice on whether insolvency is the best option for your business. If the business is already insolvent, we can also help you ‘prove in’ your debt to claim a proportion of the money owed to you from the Insolvency Practitioner or Official Receiver.

Our debt recovery pricing

We understand that having to resort to legal action to pursue a debtor is frustrating for your business. You can trust that we will take all possible steps to recover your debt for a proportionate cost. We offer a range of funding options, including fixed costs for things like drafting and serving a Letter Before Action and flexible hourly rates for litigation. For more information about our debt recovery fees, visit our pricing page.

Speak to our debt recovery solicitors in Eastbourne and Hastings

Based in Eastbourne and Hastings, our debt recovery team work with clients all across East Sussex, including Bexhill-on-Sea, Hailsham, Polegate, Battle, Pevensey and St Leonards-on-Sea.

To find out how we can help you with debt recovery, contact our expert team now:

• Call: 01323 434416
• Email: enquiries@stephenrimmer.com
• Or pay us a visit at 21 Lushington Road Eastbourne BN21 4LG