Making a claim
If someone owes you money, you can make a claim asking them to repay the money to you. You can phone them, send them an email or sms, or write them a letter. Whichever method you choose, it is important to make sure you communicate clearly, setting out how much you are claiming and why you believe they owe you the money.
A common way to make a claim for money owed is to send a letter of demand. Before you send a letter, you will need to find out their current contact details.
It is much better to communicate with the person who owes you money, rather than start a case in court straight away.
Identify the other party
You will need to know the name and address of the person or business who you wish to make a claim against.
If you have not been in contact with them for a while, you will need to find out if the address you have for them is current.
If you are owed money because of a business transaction, you will need to know the correct legal entity to make your claim against, whether it is a person or a company.
For more information, see Identify the other party.
Send a letter of demand
A letter of demand is a letter to the other party, asking them to pay you the money they owe. The letter should tell the other person how much is owed and why, when it should have been repaid, and what will happen if the money is not repaid.
For more information and instructions on how to write a letter of demand, see Letter of demand.
The time limit to start a court case to recover a debt is six years from when the money became owed, when the last repayment was made, or when the debt was last acknowledged in writing (whichever comes last). If you are unsure, you should get legal advice.