First, we provide a free assessment of the validity and enforceability of the claim and verify the debtor’s financial situation (enforcement proceedings, insolvency, other liens). If there is a realistic chance of successful recovery, we propose the appropriate course of action – from amicable settlement and pre-litigation demand letters to court or enforcement proceedings – and inform you about expected costs and risks.

If your claim is justified and the debtor is solvent, the necessary legal costs are covered by the debtor. In practice, this means that in case of full success, we can claim reimbursement of legal fees and court fees directly from the debtor, not from the client.

In case of full success (recovery of both principal and accessories), legal fees and court costs are paid from the amount recovered from the debtor. The client therefore usually does not pay the lawyer’s fee from their own funds – it is settled from the recovered amount as awarded legal costs.

If the court or enforcement officer grants only part of the claimed amount, legal costs are awarded proportionally according to the degree of success. Part of the costs is therefore covered by the debtor and part may be borne by the creditor. We will always explain the specific impact at the beginning of the case and after the decision is issued.

If it turns out that the debtor is insolvent, has multiple enforcement proceedings, or other obstacles preventing effective recovery, we will transparently close the case with you. In such cases, we charge according to the hourly or task-based attorney tariff (e.g. taking over representation, pre-litigation demand letter, application for a payment order, or lawsuit), rather than a percentage of the unrecoverable principal.

Typically invoices, contracts, purchase orders, delivery notes, handover protocols, and relevant email or other communication with the debtor. The more precise the documentation you provide, the easier it is to prove the claim and the faster and cheaper the recovery process may be.

A pre-litigation demand letter is a formal notice to the debtor that if the debt is not paid within a set deadline, legal action will be taken. In many cases, the letter alone leads to voluntary payment. It is also a legal service for which reimbursement of costs can be claimed under the attorney tariff.

An EPO is a fast-track court decision issued without a hearing if legal conditions are met and the claim is supported by documents. For undisputed debts, it is an efficient way to obtain an enforceable decision quickly and subsequently initiate enforcement proceedings.

The out-of-court phase (demand letters, negotiations with the debtor) may take a few weeks. Court proceedings usually take several months, and in more complex cases even longer. Enforcement then depends on the debtor’s assets and how quickly they can be effectively targeted.

If you decide to terminate the process early (for example after partial payment or a change in business relations), we will charge you for the legal services already provided according to the attorney tariff. These are costs that would otherwise be borne by the debtor if the case were concluded with a cost award.