We also provide information about the solicitors and other fee earners who will work on this type of matter, their qualifications and experience.

Terri Hattersley is a Solicitor in Druces’ Commercial Litigation team, specialising in general commercial litigation, principally contract disputes, debt recovery and insolvency matters. Terri is overseen by Nigel Adams, who is a Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution. He has a broad range of experience in all areas of commercial litigation, including debt recovery. Together, they provide Druces’ debt recovery services, with the assistance of trainee solicitors.

Neil Hayter and Richard Bailey are respectively also Partners in Druces’ Commercial Litigation and Construction teams. Both have many years of experience in dispute resolution and are able to advise on debt recovery where appropriate. Benjamin Lomer is a Partner and Head of Property Litigation at Druces. He also undertakes debt recovery.

The costs information provided is based on our experience of typical cases. The actual charges may vary, for example, if your case is more or less complex than the average case. We will give you a cost estimate at the outset, taking into account the actual circumstances of your case. We will also update the estimate as the matter progresses, and if complications arise.

Our fees and the disbursements for a typical debt recovery claim cover the work and involve the costs set out below. In some cases, such as where the debtor pays immediately in response to a letter before action, the costs may be less. In other cases, where the basis of your claim is complex, the costs may be more, and we may need to instruct Counsel to advise and/or draft particulars of claim. In such cases, you would have to pay Counsel’s fees and VAT on those fees in addition to our fees, as well as Court fees to issue a claim at Court.

Our fees are calculated on a “time-spent” basis, meaning we multiply the number of hours spent on a matter by the relevant fee earner by their hourly rate. Occasionally, we may discount the final figure, but that is dependent on the circumstances. VAT at 20% is then added, assuming you are a UK-based client, and any disbursements are added.

The hourly rates for the fee earners who work on debt recovery matters are as follows:

• Nigel Adams – £450
• Richard Bailey – £450
• Neil Hayter – £450
• Benjamin Lomer – £400
• Terri Hattersley – £250
• Solicitor/Associate – £250 to £280
• First Year Trainee Solicitor – £160
• Second Year Trainee Solicitor – £180

By way of an example, if a First Year Trainee Solicitor spent two hours working on a debt recovery matter, and one of the Partners spent a further two hours working on the same matter, £1,220 of fees would be charged and £244 worth of VAT (for UK-based clients).