Problems with debt? A solicitor has sent me a letter of demand. What should I do? Don't ignore it! The Solicitor has written the letter on behalf of someone (the creditor) who claims that you owe them money. The letter will usually state that unless you pay the amount claimed within a specified time (often 14 days) the Solicitor has been instructed to begin legal proceedings against you. If you do owe the money you should pay the debt as soon as possible to avoid having to pay extras such as court costs and interest on the money. If you can't pay the whole amount at once, you can offer to pay by instalments. Try to reach agreement with the person to whom you owe the money -- your creditor. They are mainly interested in getting the money back and will usually only start legal proceedings if there is no other way of achieving this. If you do not owe the money you can refuse to pay. If there is a clear reason why you do not owe the money (for example, if the money is for goods or services that you didn't receive) you can tell the Solicitor about this. This may prevent court proceedings being started. However, if you are not sure that you owe the money, you should get legal advice. Remember legal advice can always help. Even if you owe the money, a Solicitor may be able to make better arrangements for you to repay it.