Recovering professional service fees

Why a fee claim differs from a supply claim

In supply, a signed delivery note ends a large part of the discussion. In professional services there is usually no equivalent, because the output is intangible: a report, a design, a campaign, a system, or advice.

The dispute therefore moves to quality and scope: was what was delivered what was agreed? What evidences the client's acceptance at the time consequently matters more than the invoice itself.

The documents that decide the file

The signed engagement letter or proposal setting out scope, phases and the basis of fees; the client's messages approving each phase or deliverable; a log of deliveries and their dates; time records where the engagement is time-based; progress reports; and correspondence in which the client asks for revisions — which is itself an acknowledgement that the work was received.

A written approval of a particular phase makes a claim for that phase's fees an entirely different proposition from claiming for a whole project with no documented milestones.

Work begun before the contract was signed

Many providers start on a verbal go-ahead or a short message, then find themselves asked later to prove what was agreed. The absence of a signed contract does not defeat the claim, but it shifts proof onto the correspondence and the conduct of the parties.

A message saying "go ahead", or one requesting a change to a deliverable, can matter more than an unsigned quotation.

Ongoing relationships and how they shape the approach

Many files in this sector concern a client the provider is still working with, or would like to. The approach here is not a formality: escalating early can cost more than it recovers.

The objective is therefore settled first — recover the money and end the relationship, or recover it and keep the relationship. The route differs with the answer.

How we handle a fee file

We review the scope, the deliverables and what evidences their acceptance, and identify the amount due for phases that are not in dispute. We then approach the client professionally and on the record and negotiate a settlement or payment plan.

Where an amicable outcome is not reachable, we explain the appropriate step and coordinate with licensed lawyers or the competent authorities within the scope of our licence.