Home · Practice areas · Disputed Liabilities & Claim Defence
Practice area
When a claim against your business does not add up.
We act for companies facing overstated demands, disputed invoices, legal notices and counterclaims, and negotiate them down to what is genuinely owed.
Overview
Disputed Liabilities & Claim Defence
A formal demand, especially one on a law firm's letterhead, is designed to create pressure. Paying in full to make it go away is often the most expensive option; ignoring it is usually the riskiest.
We take the claim apart line by line: what the contract actually says, what was delivered, what the evidence supports, and where set-offs or counterclaims arise. Then we negotiate, with a fee structure that can be linked to the amount we save you.
What we handle
Matters we take on.
Business-to-business matters only, resolved by negotiation and settlement before court wherever possible.
Supplier demands
Testing invoices, quantities, pricing and charges against the contract.
Legal notices
Measured, professional responses that protect your position.
Set-off & counterclaims
Identifying and valuing claims you hold against the other side.
Quality & performance disputes
Evidence of defects, delay or non-performance, properly presented.
Overstated interest & costs
Challenging charges that the contract or law does not support.
Statutory demands
Urgent coordination with solicitors where a statutory demand is disputed.
Without-prejudice negotiation
Settlement talks that do not weaken your formal position.
Structured settlements
Instalments and terms your cash flow can sustain.
Settlement documentation
Clear written terms that close the matter for good.
Our approach
Prepared properly. Negotiated firmly.
- 01
Review
Free assessment of merits, quantum, time limits and recoverability.
- 02
Strategy
A written engagement letter with the plan and the fee.
- 03
Preparation
Evidence, calculations and a clear claim or response.
- 04
Negotiation
Direct talks aimed at a documented commercial settlement.
Typical clients: Ship operators and charterers · Manufacturers and buyers of goods · Contractors facing supplier claims · Companies receiving legal notices · Finance teams managing disputed payables
FAQ
Questions about this practice.
General information only; every matter turns on its own facts and documents.
How is your fee calculated when you defend a claim?
Where a success-based structure is chosen, the fee is usually linked to the amount saved: the difference between what was demanded and what is finally agreed. We propose the structure after a free initial review, and it is set out in writing before we begin.
Should we reply to the demand ourselves first?
Acknowledge it so the deadline is not missed, but avoid admitting liability or arguing the detail before the claim has been reviewed. We can help you send a holding reply.
We have received a statutory demand. Can you help?
A statutory demand is serious and time-sensitive. Contact us immediately; we will coordinate with independent solicitors, who may be able to apply to set it aside or restrain a petition if the debt is genuinely disputed.
Can you help if a law firm has written to us?
Yes. A letter from a law firm does not mean the claim is correct. We review it, help you send a measured response, and coordinate with independent solicitors where legal advice or representation is needed.
Will negotiating make us look as if we accept liability?
Not if it is done properly. Settlement discussions are conducted on a without prejudice basis, which in England and Wales generally prevents them being used as evidence of liability.
Can you reduce the interest and costs being claimed?
Often. Interest, charges and costs must have a contractual or legal basis. We challenge items that are overstated or unsupported.
Related guides
Further reading.
Practical guides from our insights library. See also our glossary and FAQ.
- When a customer becomes insolvent: what UK suppliers can still do9 min read
- Received a demand you dispute? What to do before you reply5 min read
- Statutory demands against companies: a guide for UK businesses5 min read
- Disputed shipyard and repair invoices: how owners can respond4 min read
- Disputes with port agents: checking disbursement accounts4 min read
- "Without prejudice" explained: negotiating safely in a dispute4 min read
Other practice areas
Also handled by Atlas Claims.
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