Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Are you in dispute with a supplier or a customer?  Do you need to enforce your rights under a business contract?  Are unpaid invoices hurting your cashflow?  We can help.

Business disputes can be a huge drain on the time, resources and finances of your business.  Wading through legal contracts and pages of terms and conditions to find out what you are entitled to can take hours that would be better spent managing and growing the business.  Our litigation and dispute resolution specialists know exactly what to look for, and whether you are in dispute with a customer or a supplier or simply need a debt chasing, they will fight your corner and give expert, cost-effective advice to get your problem resolved.

How can we help?

There are a wide range of problems we can help you solve.  Some typical example include:

  • Commercial Debt Recovery – chasing unpaid debts to help your cashflow (covered in more detail on our Commercial Debt Recovery page)

  • Disputes with Suppliers – where goods and services provided to you are not to the right standard

  • Disputes with Customers – enforcing your business terms and defending you against claims

  • Shareholder Disputes – resolving conflicts between the owners of the business

  • Landlord or Tenant disputes – where you are in disagreement with your landlord or someone you rent property to

  • Disputes with Employees or Ex-Employees – where you need to enforce the terms of your employment contracts such as restrictive covenants

  • Injunctions – where you need the courts to force a 3rd party to do/not do something, for example slander or defamation

  • And many more…

Our Approach

At Backhouse Solicitors we understand that every problem is different and it isn’t a case of one size fits all!  Our expert team will work with you to establish the right solution for your business, taking account of your commercial needs and your appetite for risk.

In some cases, a dispute might just need a fresh pair of eyes to get things moving.  It can be easy for the other side to ignore your letters and emails, but a formal letter from your solicitors will usually prompt them into engaging properly with you.

Every case is different and our skilled negotiators could reach an informal agreement on your behalf, seek a formal agreement through mediation or alternate dispute resolution, or if that fails we can start court proceedings to force a resolution.

Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Mediation and other similar forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution can sometimes be used where the two parties cannot reach an agreement between themselves.  This is usually (although not always) cheaper than going to court and in some industries it is mandatory where there are contractual disputes.

A mediator or similar is an independent third party who acts as a go-between and helps both sides reach an agreement.  We can arrange for good mediators and would usually help you with your side of the negotiation.  It is common for the parties to have a legal advisor on their team to ensure they aren’t being put at a disadvantage during negotiations.

Litigation through the Courts

If we can’t resolve your dispute through negotiation then the next step is to issue court proceedings.  Litigation through the courts is a formal process, with strict timetables and requirements to file the right documents at the right time.  There are no certainties when it comes to legal proceedings so we will always give you a realistic assessment of your chances of success.  You can then decide whether it’s right for you to commit the time and resources needed.

If you decide to go ahead, our litigation experts will help guide you through the maze of processes and jargon.  We will prepare your case to give you the best chance of success and either represent you in court ourselves, or in more specialist cases find the right barrister to work with us to achieve the best outcome for you.

If you win then we can help enforce the court’s judgement, using bailiffs where necessary to recover money or goods.

Contact Us

If your business is suffering due to an ongoing dispute or needs help with Commercial Debt Recovery then the Backhouse Solicitors team are here to help.  Contact us today to book a free initial consultation with one of our litigation experts.

Tel:          01245 893400
Email:     info@backhouse-solicitors.co.uk
Visit:       17 Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JU
Or send us a message through the Contact Us page on this website.