$48,000 in unpaid invoices recovered for a Brisbane design studio

A small design studio was owed $48,000 by a long-standing client who had steadily fallen behind on three large project invoices. The client had been reliable for years but had recently gone quiet, ignored reminders, and begun disputing scope after delivery. The studio submitted an enquiry through Collect My Money to explore their options.

The client was a significant account the studio didn't want to lose. The disputed scope made a blanket demand risky, and the studio had no internal process for escalating beyond email reminders. Staff morale was suffering because cash flow delays threatened wages.

Through Collect My Money, the studio was introduced to an independent Australian debt recovery provider and chose to engage them. The provider reviewed each invoice and split them into the undisputed amounts and the disputed scope, then drafted a formal letter of demand for the undisputed balance with a clear deadline. Separately, the provider proposed a short, written process to resolve the scope dispute — a simple exchange of evidence rather than legal proceedings — and advised documenting all future work in writing.

Led by the provider, the client paid the undisputed $36,000 within the demand period. The scope dispute on the remaining $12,000 was resolved through the provider's informal evidence exchange, with the client agreeing to pay $9,000 of it. In total, $45,000 was recovered over four months and the studio kept the client — on clearer terms going forward.

Separating what's agreed from what's disputed lets you recover most of a debt quickly while creating space to resolve the rest — and keeps valuable clients on board. An experienced provider can manage this escalation for a client.