How our UK business debt recovery process works
Send us the debt details once. We will assess whether recovery is realistic, explain the best next step and manage the process without leaving you to guess what is happening.
Experience behind the process
You may reasonably want to know whether the process is based on practical casework. The figures below describe relevant personal and professional experience our specialists bring to HK Commercial Debt Recovery, including experience gained before or separately from HK Commercial Debt Recovery as a firm.
Personal collections experience of our specialists, across varied sectors and debt values.
Our specialists' personal professional experience includes litigation and enforcement matters up to £240,000.
Qualified expertise from our specialists in commercial credit and debt recovery.
A free assessment before recovery action begins
Before contacting the debtor, we review what is owed, the documents available, any dispute and the debtor’s position. This helps avoid wasted action and gives you a clear recommendation.
Tell us who owes the money, how much is due, why it is owed and which documents you already hold.
We check invoices, contracts, statements, delivery records and correspondence to understand how well the debt can be evidenced.
We consider whether the debtor is trading, showing signs of distress, disputing the debt or likely to respond to recovery action.
You receive a direct view on whether the debt is worth pursuing and which next step is proportionate.
From unpaid invoice to recovery conclusion
Your case will not be pushed through unnecessary stages. It moves only when the debtor’s response, the evidence and the likely return justify the next step.
Submit the debt
Send the core case details and supporting documents through the debt instruction form.
Start submission →Free assessment
We review viability, debtor status, dispute issues, distress indicators and available routes.
View viability factors →Route confirmed
We explain the recommended recovery strategy, likely stages and any material cost before action.
Compare routes →Recovery activity
Written and telephone contact begins, with negotiation, decision-maker engagement and payment-plan discussions where appropriate.
View services →Formal demand
If ordinary collection does not resolve the matter, a final demand or Letter Before Action may be recommended.
Letter Before Action guide →Court or insolvency route
Where justified, County Court, statutory demand or winding-up action may be considered and separately approved.
How escalation works →Enforcement
If judgment is obtained and remains unpaid, enforcement options are assessed against likely recovery prospects.
Enforcement guide →Conclusion and remittance
The case concludes when payment is secured or reasonable options are exhausted. Funds received are remitted under the agreed terms.
Terms of Business →Secure payment without unnecessary legal action
You may be concerned that instructing a recovery firm means immediate court action. It does not. We first focus on direct contact, the reason for non-payment and a practical route to payment before stronger action is considered.
- Written and telephone recovery communications
- Director and decision-maker engagement
- Settlement negotiation
- Payment plans where commercially appropriate
- Identification of disputes and supporting evidence
- Clear deadlines and controlled follow-up
Viability is reviewed throughout
The objective is to improve your position, not generate activity or cost. We keep reviewing the debtor, the evidence and the likely return so you are not encouraged into an uncommercial step.
- Recovery prospects considered before escalation
- Costs explained before external action
- Client approval required for legal action
- Uncommercial routes are not recommended for activity’s sake
- Funded escalation may be available on qualifying cases
Stronger action only when it is justified and approved
Formal action is not automatic. We consider the evidence, any genuine dispute, debtor solvency, likely enforcement outcome and whether the cost is proportionate before recommending it.
Pre-action demands
A final demand or Letter Before Action can set a formal deadline and explain the consequences of continued non-payment.
- Appropriate before many court claims
- Can prompt payment or meaningful engagement
- Must accurately reflect the debt and intended route
Court and enforcement
A County Court claim may be appropriate for a recoverable, evidenced debt. If judgment remains unpaid, enforcement options can then be considered.
- County Court claim assessment
- Judgment and enforcement planning
- High Court enforcement where eligible
Insolvency-related routes
Statutory demands and winding-up petitions are serious remedies and are not substitutes for resolving a genuinely disputed debt.
- Debtor solvency and dispute reviewed first
- Proportionality and commercial outcome considered
- Specialist instruction managed where required
You remain informed throughout the case
You should not have to chase for basic information. We report what has happened, what the debtor has said and what decision—if any—is needed from you.
Weekly progress updates
Updates cover completed actions, debtor contact, payment proposals, disputes and the planned activity for the following week.
Material developments
Significant responses, payments, insolvency information or proposed escalation are communicated when they arise rather than being held for a routine report.
Approval before commitment
You retain control over settlements outside agreed parameters and over any formal action that creates external cost or legal exposure.
Understand each available recovery route
Use these guides to understand the main options before or during a case, including when a route may be unsuitable or disproportionate.
Formal recovery routes
Suitability checks
Practical support
What information helps us assess the debt?
Do not delay solely because one document is missing. You can submit the case with what you have; the following information gives us the strongest starting point:
- Correct legal name and address of the debtor
- Amount owed and invoice due dates
- Invoices, statements and contractual documents
- Evidence of supply or delivery
- Previous reminders and debtor correspondence
- Details of any dispute, set-off or payment proposal
- Known concerns about solvency or business closure
Start with one free recovery review
Send the essential debt details and upload the documents already available. We will review them and only come back to you where a missing point could materially affect recovery.
Requesting an assessment does not commit you to court action or external cost. It gives you a commercial view on viability and the most proportionate route.
Find out whether the debt is recoverable—and what to do next
Submit the debt and the documents you already have. We will assess the evidence, debtor position and likely recovery route before any action begins.
B2B debts only. General collections are provided under the agreed no-win, no-fee case terms.