Short answer
Start by confirming the correct debtor, the agreed payment terms and whether the customer disputes the debt. Keep the contract, invoice, delivery evidence and correspondence together before a legal professional assesses recovery options, procedure and cost.
Quick checklist
Start with these
Best order
How to organise the first pack
- Write a one-page chronology from order to the latest response.
- Add the agreement, terms, purchase order and any variations.
- Add the invoice, statement and evidence that goods or services were supplied.
- Add complaints, chasers, formal demands and settlement proposals in date order.
- Finish with the amount sought, the outcome wanted and any urgent date.
Identify The Correct Customer And Payment Terms
Check the legal name of the person, sole trader, partnership or company that ordered the work. Record the agreed price, payment date and any term about interest, disputes or late payment.
- customer legal name and address
- quote, order or signed agreement
- invoice date and payment terms
- company or trading-name details
Separate An Unpaid Debt From A Disputed Debt
State whether the customer accepts the invoice but has not paid, or disputes the work, goods, amount or timing. Include any counterclaim, credit note or proposed payment plan because these facts can change the work a professional needs to scope.
- reason given for non-payment
- complaints about quality or delay
- part-payments or admissions
- set-off or counterclaim raised
Build A Short Evidence Pack
Put the key documents in date order and add a one-page chronology. A focused pack helps a professional see what was agreed, what was supplied, when payment fell due and what happened next.
- contract, terms or purchase order
- invoice and account statement
- delivery, completion or acceptance evidence
- chasing and complaint correspondence
Record Pre-Action Steps Without Assuming The Route
Keep copies of demands, responses and settlement proposals. The appropriate pre-action steps and any court route depend on the parties and facts, so a professional should confirm what is required before proceedings are started.
- formal demand or letter before claim
- delivery or receipt evidence
- customer response
- settlement or instalment proposals
Define The Legal Help And Cost Question
Explain whether you need an initial merits review, a letter, negotiation, claim preparation or representation. Ask what is included, excluded and likely to require additional work before agreeing a fee.
- amount claimed and any disputed amount
- work required now
- known deadline or hearing date
- documents available for review
By matter type
Useful papers for common enquiries
Accepted but unpaid
Include any admission, promised payment date, part-payment and proposed instalment plan.
Quality or delivery dispute
Include the complaint, response, specification, completion evidence and any remedial work offered.
Wrong debtor or trading name
Include the order details, invoice addressee, company information and evidence showing who contracted.
Claim already started
Include the claim form, response pack, orders, hearing notice and every current deadline.
Avoid delays
What not to send first
- A large unsorted email export without a short chronology.
- Original documents where a clear copy is sufficient for initial triage.
- Statements that the debt is undisputed when correspondence shows a complaint or counterclaim.
- Starting or responding to proceedings on the assumption that an online enquiry pauses a deadline.
General information only for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland need separate content checks.
Content governance
Editorial and source information
- Author
- Legal4U Editorial Team
- Professional review status
- Pending. Commercial litigation solicitor, barrister or regulated business-law specialist review required before publication as legal guidance.
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales
- Date published
- 18 July 2026
- Regulatory status
- Legal4U is a legal enquiry intake and professional matching platform, not a law firm.
- Sources
-
- Make a court claim for money GOV.UK. Checked 8 September 2026.
- Practice direction on pre-action conduct and protocols Ministry of Justice. Checked 8 September 2026.
- Editorial policy
- Legal4U guides are written to help users prepare structured enquiries. The professional-review status and reviewer details are shown separately on each guide.
- Correction process
- Corrections or update requests can be sent through the Legal4U contact page for editorial review.
- Information and advice
- This page is general information only and is not legal advice. Legal advice is provided only by an authorised professional or firm after they accept instructions.
Ask For Legal Help
Legal4U helps clients request legal help through a suitable Legal professional. The information on this page is general information only, not legal advice about your individual circumstances.
If your matter is urgent, include hearing dates, court deadlines, orders and any documents you already have when you submit your enquiry.
