Demand Letter Pack

Ireland · Unpaid invoice

A letter before action for an unpaid invoice in Ireland

In Ireland, a letter of demand, often called a letter before action, gives the debtor a last chance to pay before you issue proceedings. It names the invoice, the amount and a clear date to pay. Between businesses, it can also claim statutory late payment interest and a fixed sum in compensation. You answer the questions and get the letter in English, with the dates worked out.

Start your letterFrom €49, paid once. No account needed.

The questions, and the documents that come with the letters (checklist, timeline, next steps and memo), are in English. The letters can be written in English.

The rules your letter follows

Taken from the official sources listed below. Interest rates change from time to time; these are the current ones.

Final date in the letter
14 days
No rule sets the period. You can choose up to 30 days.
Late payment interest, between businesses
10.4%
Until 31 December 2026. Linked to the ECB reference rate. Runs from the day after the payment date, without a reminder.
Fixed compensation, between businesses
€40, €70 or €100
Depending on the amount, for each commercial transaction. Due without a reminder and without proof of costs.
Limitation period
6 years
From the payment date. A signed written acknowledgment of the debt, or any part payment, starts it again.
Court
District Court
Debt claims up to €15,000. Larger claims go to the Circuit Court. You can bring the claim yourself, but a company must be represented by a solicitor.
Court fee
Depends on the amount
Paid when the District Court office issues the claim notice.
How to send it
Registered post
Send it by email too. Registered post gives proof of delivery if you need to rely on the letter later, for example when costs are argued.

What the letter does

A letter before action names each unpaid invoice, with its number, date, amount and due date, and the goods or services you supplied. It says that payment is overdue and mentions earlier reminders only if you sent them.

It gives a final date to pay and states the next step you are prepared to consider if the money does not arrive. It does not say that proceedings have started.

Late payment interest and compensation

When you and your client are both businesses and the invoice is for goods or services, the Irish rules on late payment in commercial transactions apply. Statutory interest runs from the day after the payment date, and a fixed sum in compensation is due: €40, €70 or €100, depending on the amount. Neither needs a reminder. Reasonable recovery costs above the fixed sum can also be claimed. The letter includes interest and compensation only if you choose them.

These rules do not cover transactions with consumers. When your client is a private person, the letter claims neither the statutory interest nor the fixed compensation.

If they still do not pay

Debt claims up to €15,000 go to the District Court, and larger ones to the Circuit Court. The District Court office issues a claim notice, which is served on the debtor, and you pay a court fee based on the amount at that point. The debtor can pay, defend the claim or ignore it. If they ignore it, you can ask for judgment without a hearing. You can act without a solicitor if you claim in your own name. A company needs one, unless the court allows otherwise in exceptional circumstances.

The escalation memo in the Complete pack explains each of these steps, but does not choose one for you.

Where the rules come from

What is in the envelope

Word and PDF files you can edit before you send anything.

  1. 01

    Demand letter

    The formal letter, in the language you choose, with your amount and payment details. The deadline, and any interest and costs, follow the local rules.

  2. 02

    Evidence checklist

    What to keep and what to enclose, checked against the files you uploaded.

  3. 03

    Timeline

    Your dispute date by date, including the dates still to come.

  4. 04

    Next steps

    How to send the letter so you can prove it arrived, and what to do with each kind of reply.

  5. 05

    Final noticeComplete

    A shorter second letter with a last deadline, for when the first one passes.

  6. 06

    Escalation memoComplete

    Court, collection agencies and lawyers: what each route involves. It describes the options; it does not choose one for you.

How it works

  1. Today

    You answer the questions. It takes about ten minutes, and your answers are saved as you go.

  2. Today

    You check the summary and pay. A few minutes later your documents are ready, in Word and PDF.

  3. When you are ready

    You sign the letter and send it yourself, so it comes from you.

Questions

Do I have to send a letter before going to court?

No statute or court rule says you must. But when the court decides who pays the costs, it can look at how each side behaved before the proceedings as well as during them. So leaving the letter out can affect costs. The District Court claim notice also lists the correspondence you rely on.

Can I use the Small Claims procedure?

Not for an unpaid invoice. Debts are excluded from the Small Claims procedure, so a debt claim up to €15,000 goes to the District Court as an ordinary civil claim.

How long do I have to claim?

The limitation period is 6 years from the payment date. A signed written acknowledgment of the debt, or any part payment, starts the period again.

What does it cost?

€49 for the Standard pack and €79 for Complete, including VAT. You pay once.

P.S.

Your documents are written by an AI system and checked automatically against your answers and the local rules. No lawyer reviews them. They are document drafts and general information, not legal advice. Your answers are deleted 30 days after delivery, or sooner if you ask.

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Start your letter

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