Finally taking that next step to instructing a solicitor can be overwhelming. All of a sudden your claim for a debt action feels a lot more serious. Here at Mewies Solicitors it is our intention to make your claim as stress free and straight forward as possible. To help alleviate some of that pressure it is advisable to be as prepared as possible prior to attending any initial enquiry meeting.

Many debt claims can be easily proven, especially for business-to-business contracts. Oftentimes these transactions will be evidenced by written contracts and invoices. For individuals this may be less easily identifiable and more difficult to prove. This is when it is important to gather as much information as possible to help strengthen your claim.  The list set out below gives a non-exhaustive list of items that may be useful in beginning your claim.

  • Who you intend to bring the claim against; is this an individual or a company?
  • Do you have a written contract evidencing the debt? If so, your instructed solicitor will need to see this. For an individual this may be contained in texts or emails.
  • Have any invoices been issued? If so, your instructed solicitor will need to see these.
  • Have any payments been made or received, and can these be evidenced by way of bank statements? Again, these would be useful in assisting your instructed solicitor.
  • Has there been any relevant correspondence between you and the other party?

If you hold any documents which you think may be relevant to your claim, it is advisable to bring these to your initial enquiry meeting so that a member of our team has a copy of these. We will then be able to assess the strength of that evidence and its relevance to your claim. A good general rule of thumb is ‘if it relates to the matter at hand, it is advisable to bring it to your solicitor’s attention’.

In any litigious claim there is a duty of disclosure. This means when any matter of litigation arises both parties are bound by a duty to retain any and all documents and correspondence which may be either helpful or harmful to their claim. Therefore, to be on the safe side you should retain any documents and correspondence and bring this to the attention of you’re a member of our team.

Here at Mewies Solicitors our expert and friendly team is ready to assist you. For more information contact Darnell Alexander-Connell on 01756 799000 or alternatively email at d.alexander-connell@mewiessolicitors.co.uk