Letter Before Action
A letter before claim (letter before action) that complies with the pre-action rules of England and Wales. Where a business claims a debt from an individual — including a sole trader — the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims applies: the letter must contain the information listed in paragraph 3.1, enclose an up-to-date statement of account, the Information Sheet and Reply Form at Annex 1 and a Financial Statement form, and allow the debtor 30 days from the date at the top of the letter before proceedings are started. Every other claim follows the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols, which requires a concise summary of the claim, the sum sought, the documents relied on, a reasonable time to reply and genuine consideration of alternative dispute resolution. The wizard applies the right regime to your facts, calculates the reply date, sets out interest — contractual, statutory interest and the fixed sum for commercial debts under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, or interest claimed under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 — and warns where non-compliance would expose you to costs sanctions under paragraphs 13 to 16 of the Practice Direction.
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What you'll be asked
01Parties
Who is making the claim? · Your name (or company name) · Your address for correspondence and payment · Who owes the money? · Their name (or company name) · Their address
02The Claim
What is the claim for? · Is the amount a fixed sum already owed, or damages for the court to assess? · Was the agreement written or oral? · Date of the written agreement · Who made the oral agreement, what was agreed, and when and where? · Summary of the claim · Amount claimed (GBP) · Date the money fell due · Documents you rely on
03Interest & Account
Are you claiming interest? · Contractual rate (% per year) · Interest accrued to the date of this letter (GBP) · Are you enclosing an up-to-date statement of account?
04Reply & Delivery
Date of this letter · Days you are allowing for a reply · Are you enclosing the Information Sheet, Reply Form and Financial Statement? · What do you propose if the claim is disputed? · How should payment be made? · How will you send this letter?
Frequently asked questions
Is this Letter Before Action valid under UK law?
Yes. This document is drafted for UK law and adapts to your situation from your answers. It is still a template — for anything high-stakes, have it checked by a qualified professional.
Do I need a lawyer or an account?
No. Answer 25 guided questions, pay once, and download instantly. No account, no subscription.
How long does it take?
About 5 minutes. The questionnaire has 25 questions and the document is assembled as you go.
What formats do I get?
PDF and Word (.docx), downloadable immediately after payment.
Can I edit it afterwards?
Yes. The Word file is fully editable, and you can re-run the questionnaire to generate a new version.