Business Legal Assistance & Legal Advice: Have your outstanding invoice followed up professionally
Is your customer not paying? We assess whether your claim is suitable for amicable collection on a no cure no pay basis. If the claim is disputed, we handle the case as a legal dispute at a pre-agreed fixed rate.
- We worked for, among others:
Outstanding invoice? Have it assessed first to determine the appropriate course of action.
If the claim is undisputed, a no cure no pay arrangement may be possible. If there is a defense, we will pursue the legal route.
Sound familiar?
Many debt collection cases begin with a simple outstanding invoice. The risk arises when payment is not received, the customer fails to respond, or only raises a substantive objection late in the process.
Your customer is not paying
The invoice is due, but payment remains outstanding despite reminders.
The debtor is not responding
You send messages or reminders, but receive no substantive response.
The customer disputes the invoice
Suddenly, there are complaints about delivery, quality, agreements, or work.
You want to apply pressure without making mistakes
An incorrect demand or an overly harsh tone can work against you later.
You doubt whether litigation is worthwhile
Not every outstanding invoice immediately justifies legal proceedings, seizure, or a bankruptcy application.
The longer payment is delayed, the greater the chance that a dispute will arise regarding agreements, delivery, proof, or inability to pay.
What would you like to know more about?
An outstanding invoice may require various follow-up steps. Below you will find the most important components of the collection process.
When do you need legal assistance for entrepreneurs?
Legal assistance for entrepreneurs is wise as soon as a legal problem begins to impact your business. Think of a customer who does not pay, a supplier who breaches agreements, an employee with whom a conflict arises, or a business partner who blocks cooperation.
Many entrepreneurs wait too long. As a result, a solvable problem grows larger. Correspondence gets out of hand, evidence becomes scattered, and the other party dictates the pace.
MKB Juristen helps entrepreneurs gain clarity quickly. We assess your position, determine the legal course of action, and assist with implementation. This may involve advice, negotiation, formal demands, or litigation.
What is covered by legal assistance for entrepreneurs?
Legal assistance for entrepreneurs is broader than just litigation. In many cases, litigation is precisely not the first or best step.
Sometimes brief legal advice is sufficient. Sometimes your legal position must be assessed first. In other cases, negotiation is necessary. If the opposing party continues to refuse, litigation may be the appropriate next step.
At MKB Juristen, you therefore do not immediately choose a single fixed route. We first look at your situation, documents, evidentiary position, commercial interests, and desired outcome. Only then do we determine which approach will be most effective.
Start by determining your legal position
A good legal process begins with insight. You must know where you stand before you take action.
Therefore, many cases begin with an assessment of your legal position. We then review your rights, obligations, evidentiary position, risks, and chances of success.
This analysis prevents you from acting based on assumptions. Afterwards, you will know whether to negotiate, issue a formal demand, settle, litigate, or take no action yet.
Legal advice on a specific question
Do you have one clear legal question? Then a consultation may suffice.
Consider questions such as: may I terminate this agreement, must my client pay, can I hold an employee liable, is this formal demand justified, or am I at risk of liability?
In that case, legal advice provide quick clarity. You discuss your situation with a legal expert or lawyer and gain immediate insight into your options.
Legal assistance for business disputes
Business conflicts require speed and strategy. A conflict with a customer, supplier, contractor, franchisee, or business partner can impact your cash flow, reputation, and business operations.
We first look at the agreements. What is stated in the contract? Do general terms and conditions apply? Has a proper complaint been filed or notice of default given? And is there sufficient evidence?
Next, we determine the best course of action. Sometimes a strongly worded letter suffices. Sometimes negotiations are necessary. And sometimes legal proceedings are required to enforce payment, performance, or damages.
Legal assistance with contracts
Many legal problems arise from unclear contracts. Parties agree on something, but do not specify exactly what should happen if the collaboration turns out to be disappointing.
In the event of contractual disputes, we assess, among other things, the agreement, general terms and conditions, emails, quotations, order confirmations, and payment arrangements. In doing so, we examine performance, termination, dissolution, liability, and damages.
Do you primarily have a question about contracts? Then also check out our page on contracts or have an existing document checked with the ContractCheck™.
Legal assistance with employment disputes
Employment disputes require careful handling. A wrong step can lead to wage claims, reinstatement requests, fair compensation, or a failed dismissal process.
We assist employers with, among other things, poor performance, illness, wage disputes, warnings, file building, non-competition clauses, settlement agreements, and dismissal.
In doing so, we combine practical employer advice with knowledge of employment law and dismissal law. This prevents a personnel issue from escalating unnecessarily into legal matters.
Legal assistance with debt collection and payment problems
Outstanding invoices can put immediate pressure on your business. That is why speed is important.
We assess whether the claim is legally strong, whether the invoice is due and payable, and what defenses the counterparty may have. Subsequently, we determine whether a payment reminder, formal demand, payment arrangement, or legal proceedings are necessary.
In the case of major or persistent payment disputes, it may be wise to apply pressure. Consider interest, extrajudicial costs, legal proceedings, or, in exceptional cases, seizure of assets.
Legal assistance in corporate law disputes
Corporate law conflicts often strike at the core of the business. Examples include shareholder disputes, director conflicts, disputes between partners, disagreements regarding information, or problems within a partnership.
In such cases, the legal approach must align with the company's interests. A tough legal process may be necessary, but it can also damage the company. Therefore, we first examine the articles of association, shareholders' agreement, management agreement, decision-making, and actual power relations.
Our corporate law assist with strategy, negotiation, and litigation. The goal is not only to prevail legally, but also to limit damage to the company.
Negotiating under legal pressure
Negotiating is often the most efficient route. You retain more control over the outcome and usually avoid a lengthy procedure.
A good negotiation begins with a strong legal position. The other party must understand the risks if no settlement is reached. At the same time, the proposal must remain businesslike and feasible.
When negotiations are conducted by a lawyer or legal expert, we can provide advice in the background or contact the opposing party on your behalf. We also legally and correctly document the agreements made.
When is litigation necessary?
Litigation is necessary if the opposing party does not cooperate, stalls for time, or continues to refuse to comply with reasonable agreements.
Legal proceedings may concern payment, performance, damages, dissolution, dismissal, tenancy, liability, or a business dispute. The appropriate procedure depends on the importance, urgency, and type of dispute.
When litigation is handled by a lawyer or legal expert, we first assess whether proceeding is advisable. Subsequently, we determine the litigation strategy, gather evidence, and guide you through the proceedings.
Do you always need a lawyer?
No, not always. Whether a lawyer is mandatory depends on the procedure and the court.
At the sub-district court, a lawyer is often not mandatory. This applies, for example, to many employment cases, tenancy cases, and monetary claims up to and including €25,000. In other civil proceedings, a lawyer is usually mandatory.
The Judiciary provides a practical overview of this on the page 'Lawyer mandatory or not'. Even if a lawyer is not mandatory, legal guidance can be advisable.
How does legal assistance work at MKB Juristen?
You register your case or get in touch. We will then briefly discuss the situation, which documents are available, and what question you have.
Next, we determine the appropriate course of action. This may involve legal advice, an assessment of your legal position, negotiation, or litigation. In urgent cases, we immediately assess what action is required.
After the initial assessment, you will know where you stand. You will gain insight into your chances, risks, and next steps. This prevents the legal process from becoming unnecessarily long, expensive, or uncertain.
Which documents do you need for legal assistance?
Which documents are required depends on the problem. Often, these involve contracts, terms and conditions, invoices, emails, WhatsApp messages, quotations, notices of default, payslips, minutes, or previous correspondence.
In employment matters, the employment contract, warnings, absence documents, and performance appraisal reports are also relevant. In shareholder or director disputes, the articles of association, the shareholders' agreement, and decision-making are important.
Do not wait too long if not all documents are complete. Sometimes prompt legal direction is more important than a complete file.
What are the benefits of good legal assistance?
Good legal assistance provides peace of mind, direction, and control. You know what is legally possible and which steps are sensible.
This prevents you from giving in too early, escalating too hard, or losing evidence. You receive a strategy that suits your legal position as well as the interests of your company.
For entrepreneurs, that is essential. A legal dispute is rarely just about the law. It also affects time, money, customers, staff, and reputation.
Need help with a legal problem?
Do you legal assistance for entrepreneurs ? MKB Juristen helps with legal questions, business disputes, employment matters, contracts, debt collection, negotiations, and litigation.
We assess your situation quickly and practically. We then determine together which course of action is best: advice, determining your legal position, negotiating, or litigating.
This way, you receive clear legal assistance without unnecessary delays or unclear next steps.
Which approach suits your claim?
Not every outstanding invoice requires the same route. We distinguish between undisputed collection, disputed claims, settlements, and more severe collection measures.
Amicable collection
No cure, no payFor suitable, undisputed business claims where your client is required to pay and raises no substantive defense.
- No result, no costs for our work
- Targeted formal notice and active follow-up
- Recover collection costs where possible
Disputed claim
Fixed rateIf your client raises a substantive objection to the invoice, delivery, agreement, or work, we first assess the position and evidence.
- Review of invoice, contract, and correspondence
- Advice on chances of success and evidentiary position
- Fixed price in advance where possible
Settlement or payment arrangement
Fixed rateWhen enforcing payment through consultation is wiser than litigation, we assist with negotiation and documentation.
- Strategy and negotiation
- Record payment arrangement
- Preventing unnecessary escalation
Proceedings, seizure or bankruptcy
CustomizationIf payment is not received and the claim is legally strong enough, we will assess more severe collection measures.
- Debt collection procedure or summary proceedings
- Preservative or executory attachment
- Bankruptcy application where appropriate
This is how our debt collection approach works
We do not blindly initiate proceedings. First, we determine whether the claim is suitable for amicable collection or if a legal dispute exists.
Assess claim
We review the invoice, agreements, contract, general terms and conditions, and correspondence.
Determine route
We determine whether amicable collection is possible or if the claim is disputed.
Write to the debtor
We send a demand letter to the debtor and actively follow up on payments.
Choose next step
In the event of non-payment, we will discuss a settlement, legal proceedings, seizure, or a bankruptcy application.
Experiences with our debt collection assistance
After multiple reminders, payment remained outstanding. MKB Juristen sent a clear letter to the debtor and quickly took up the case.
We did not want a standard collection agency because the client suddenly objected. The case was first legally reviewed and then settled properly.
Clear communication, prompt follow-up, and clarity regarding the approach upfront. Exactly what you need when you have rent arrears.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a debt collection case suitable for no cure no pay?
This is particularly the case with a clear, due, and undisputed business claim. If the debtor raises substantive objections, it must first be legally assessed whether the claim is strong enough.
What happens if the customer disputes the invoice?
At that point, it is no longer a simple collection case. We then assess the agreement, invoice, correspondence, and the defense. Subsequently, we determine whether negotiating, settling, or litigating is the advisable course of action.
Can I also have a payment arrangement formalized?
Yes. If immediate payment is not feasible, a clear payment arrangement can be wise. We will then record what is to be paid, when, and what happens in the event of non-compliance.
When is applying for attachment or bankruptcy worthwhile?
That depends on the amount of the claim, the evidentiary position, the recovery risk, and the attitude of the debtor. We first assess whether such a measure is legally and practically sound.
Which documents do I need to send?
In any case, include the invoice, agreement or order confirmation, general terms and conditions, payment reminders, emails, WhatsApp messages, and any objections from the debtor.
Submit collection
Please include your outstanding invoice, agreement, and correspondence. We will assess whether the case is suitable for no cure no pay collection or if a legal assessment is required first.
- Include the outstanding invoice
- Add agreement, order confirmation, or general terms and conditions
- Add reminders and correspondence with the debtor
- We assess whether a no cure no pay basis is possible
- In the event of a dispute, we will discuss the legal course of action and the fixed rate
