Small claims court for someone who doesn't live in the UK?

[SolidGoldVampireBat]

Can you make a claim against someone who owes you money if you live in the UK and the --scumbag- other person lives abroad? I probably won't do it but I want to be able to threaten to do it without the other person being able to go 'Yah, you can't touch me because I don't live in England.'

Bumping. I want to rip his head off.

Is there a contract involved? Some state that the work or whatever is under English law. It very much depends on what it is in reference to and where the "scumbag" lives.

No but there are emails back and forth and invoices. It's freelance translation work for a publisher who lives in an EU country. He has been dicking me around for months and I have finally had enough, want to get my money and never work for him again.

You may still have a contract by performance I.e. No written agreementvbut you've performed your end of the bargain?

You can serve proceedings abroad, so it doesn't necessarily matter that they don't lice in England.

How much Is the dispute worth?
What havevyou/ they done!
What was agreedcand how?

It's £500 he owes me even though our original agreement was for him to pay a monthly retainer which would make it about £1200 but I won't be able to enforce that due to his disappearing acts and not sending much work through.
So far I have been emailing and phoning and texting him asking him when he is going to pay, he has not replied. I started chasing him (having about given up on getting any of hte money) when he sent a group email saying he had been unwell but was now back at work and there would be plenty to do soon.