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Q: I am a sole trader and I have not been paid for work carried out due to a misunderstanding over the painting of a door, where do I stand legally with regard to getting the money owed to me?

Jul 13 2006

Answered by: Peter Done Ask a question

Legal action really should be the last resort. But if talking to your customer and trying to negotiate just isn’t working then you could try the Small Claims Court. The Small Claims Procedure was originally set up to make it easy for people to recover legitimate compensation without using expensive legal advisers and allows people to make claims of up to £5,000. You can get more information about The Small Claims Procedure and whether you are eligible by clicking here. In addition, the Business Link for London website offers a free fact sheet on debt recovery which includes the key issues to consider when deciding how to proceed, how debt collection agencies, solicitors and arbitration can help you and which legal remedies might be the most appropriate for your situation.

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