Unpaid invoices: prepare for a debt-recovery consultation

01 / Practical step

Identify the parties and agreement

Gather the contract, accepted quote or order that explains who agreed to the work. Record the names appearing on those documents and the invoices; a trading name may differ from the contracting party. Do not guess which individual or company should receive a formal demand. Ask the adviser to resolve any uncertainty. Include variations and agreed payment terms, and distinguish a signed document from an informal exchange whose effect has not been assessed.

02 / Practical step

Reconcile the amount

Create a simple schedule with invoice number, date, original amount, credits, payments and the balance you believe remains. Mark disputed items separately. Link each line to the underlying record, keeping originals unchanged. Avoid adding interest, collection charges or legal costs simply because you intend to seek them; ask whether there is a basis for those amounts. A reconciled schedule gives the adviser something specific to check and helps prevent disagreement caused by overlooked part-payments.

03 / Practical step

Explain the response, including criticism

Include relevant messages about defects, delays, returns, offsets or promised payments, even where you disagree with them. Make a dated chronology and separate the other party’s statements from your own account. Tell the lawyer about any existing demand, proceeding or settlement discussion. The goal is an accurate assessment, not a collection of only favourable documents. Ask before contacting the other party again if restrictions, safety concerns or an existing formal process may affect contact.

04 / Practical step

Compare stages and practical value

Ask what an initial assessment covers, whether a letter is included and what would be a separate engagement. Discuss the information needed to evaluate the practical benefit of further action, as well as the legal position. Request an explanation of possible external expenses and costs that may remain yours. A fee quote for correspondence is not a prediction that payment will follow, and a successful procedural step does not itself establish that money will be recovered.

05 / Practical step

Illustrative example: a part-paid project

A designer invoices for a project, receives a part-payment and later receives a complaint about an added feature. Before the meeting, the designer separates the original scope, variation request, delivery record and payment. The question becomes which parts are agreed and which are disputed. The lawyer is asked to assess the next step using that record. This invented example illustrates preparation; it does not establish an entitlement to the invoice balance.

• Contract or accepted quote
• Invoice-and-payment schedule
• Delivery and variation records
• The other party’s response
• Any demand or court document received

06 / Practical step

Choose a useful reporting point

Ask when the lawyer will report back after the first task and what information will guide the next decision. A response disputing the amount, an unanswered letter and a part-payment may each require a fresh assessment. Avoid giving open-ended instructions without understanding the next stage. Keep your internal account records updated and tell the lawyer promptly about direct payments or communications so further work is based on the current position.