FREE · NO EMAIL NEEDED

Letter before action template (UK, 2026): free download for unpaid invoices

A letter before action is the formal last step before court. It tells the debtor what they owe, gives them a deadline to reply or pay, and explains what you may do next.

Debt solicitors publish letter-stage success rates of 86 to 90 percent. Those are their figures, not a guarantee for your case, but many debts are settled at this stage.

Is your debtor a business or an individual?

Includes statutory interest (8 percent over Bank of England base) and fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 depending on the debt. The figures below update from your inputs.

Download DOCX ↓Download PDF ↓

Your figures

BUSINESS DEBTORDRAFT
[Your business name]
[Your address]
[Date]
Dear [debtor name],
Letter before action: invoice [number] for £1,840
We have not received payment for the invoice above, which was due on [due date]. Please pay £1,937.84 within 14 days of this letter. That is made up of:
The invoice£1,840
Statutory interest, 47 days£27.84
Fixed compensation£70
Interest and compensation are claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. If we have not received payment or a reply by then, we intend to start court proceedings to recover the debt.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
HOW TO SEND IT

How to send it

01

Send the letter by post and email. For an individual or sole trader, include the protocol forms.

02

Keep a copy and proof of postage or email delivery. Keep every reply.

03

On day 31, if an individual has not replied, consider a court claim. For a business, follow the deadline in your letter. You can also ask us to review the case.

Don't want to do this yourself?

We chase it for you, fixed fee, free triage first.

Have us chase it →
QUESTIONS

Straight answers.

Yes, especially if you've dealt with them by email before. Send it by post as well, with proof of postage, so they can't say it never arrived.

Ask them to put the dispute in writing and deal with it on its merits. If the work or amount is genuinely disputed, we can't take the case, and court may not be the right route.

For a business debtor, 14 days is usual. For an individual or sole trader, the Pre-Action Protocol says you must allow 30 days.

Court fees are set by GOV.UK and depend on the claim. They start at £35 for claims up to £300 and rise to £455 for claims from £5,000.01 to £10,000.

No. Claims up to £10,000 usually go to the small claims track, which is designed for people to bring themselves.

From day 31 you can start a court claim. If you're working with us, we prepare the claim for you to submit.