As part of our freelancer assist product we will help you chase any unpaid invoices. If a client hasn't paid you and the debt is over a week old, then you should follow the steps below:
1. Create and send a debt recovery letter which can be found within the Business Legal Service website (www.araglegal.co.uk) and follow the instructions below:
a) Visit the Business Legal Service website (www.araglegal.co.uk)
b) Register using the voucher code shown in your policy wording
b) create your own user ID and Password
c) go to the Debt Recovery area of the website and select “Debt Recovery letters for unpaid invoices” from the menu
d) follow the instructions onscreen to create a customised letter.
You will then be prompted to enter information and there are guidance notes to help you. When you get to a question about escalating your claim “through the county court, or moneyclaims online”, you need to select “moneyclaims online”.
2. Send the letter to your client.
You must retain evidence of the debt recovery letter you sent to evidence your claim. You can either
a) set-up read receipt on your computer and email your completed letter(s). Keep a copy of the read receipt together with their “sent” email or
b) send a hard copy (paper) by recorded delivery or
c) serve the letter by hand. Should you do so, you need to print two copies. One copy should be given to the party that owes you money. The other copy should be signed with a date of receipt entered and kept.
3. Send a follow-up letter
If the debt still remains unpaid after two weeks from the date of the first letter and you have no repayment plan in place to collect what is owed, you must send a second debt recovery letter.
Follow the online instructions to create your customised letter and retain evidence of this letter being sent, as detailed above.
4. If you do not receive a response within one week of the date of the second debt recovery letter, then you can should visit your self-service area and request support for invoice chasing.
If you wish to draft your own debt recovery letters in preference to down loading letters from the Business Legal Service website, that is acceptable provided that you adhere to the timeframe described above and can provide proof that suitable letters have been sent to the debtor.