I’m freelance and really in need of some advice.
Last year I completed a small job for a client for the agreed sum of £300. I invoiced them and after 40 days (my payment terms are 30 days) I chased the payment as nothing had come into my account. They emailed back apologising and said they’d pay soon, but nothing materialised.
Anyway, several emails later I’ve still received nothing and the invoice is now about 70 days overdue.
Earlier this week I sent another email stating that if I don’t receive payment by the end of the week, I will add a £40 admin fee plus backdated interest - as per the government guidelines - to the invoice.
I’d hoped this would induce a response but it’s now Thursday and I’ve still heard nothing. Obviously there’s a chance they could still pay up as I did say end of the week, but I’m getting the feeling that they won’t.
Once I’ve reissued the invoice with the admin fee plus interest, what are my next steps? How long do I give them to pay the new invoice before going to small claims and if I do go to court, can it be done online or will I need to appear in person? If they still fail to pay after the court rules against them, what happens next?
I’m really stressed out about this as money is tight at the moment and I have a baby on the way so don’t want to let this slide.
The person owing is a sole trader, not a company, in case that’s relevant.
Any advice would be much appreciated.