Letter of Demand: How Do I Get Paid for Money Owed to Me?

The first step if you are owed money is to send what is called a letter of demand to the person who owes you the money.

You need to include the following in your demand letter: the amount owed to you together with copies of any invoice, bill or other document that evidences the amount owing and the requests you have made for payment.

You also need to include a statement that makes it clear that if the amount is not paid by a certain date then you will take legal action against them.

It is quite important to send the letter of demand by a method which will give you evidence of when you sent the letter, how and that you actually did. If you send your demand letter by mail, for example, ensure it is by registered post so you have a receipt; keep the facsimile transmission from any fax transaction; and ensure you keep the email if sent by email. If possible, it's a good idea to add an email receipt so you can show and have proof that your request for payment has been opened and read.

It is essential to have proof that you have requested payment and that your request for payment owed has been ignored. If the person owing the debt has not contacted you regarding this payment, a copy of the letter and its receipt can then be used in court to demonstrate that the person owing you money has knowledge of the debt and that you have contacted them to try to obtain repayment, which is a required step in court.

After sending at least one letter requesting payment, and should the debtor choose to ignore your letters of demand, the next step to take is to lodge a statement of claim with the court, which will ultimately result in a judge hearing your case.

Once a statement of claim is filed in court, the court stamps a copy which must then be served on the person owing the money. This must be done within 6 months of filing the statement with the court. The statement of claim cannot be served by registered post but must be done in a more formal manner. There are a number of ways to serve the statement of claim. The first is to physically hand it to the debtor, either yourself or you can hire a process server to do it for you. You leave the letter in the presence of the debtor should they refuse to accept it, if you or your process server explains the purpose and the contents of the letter.

In addition, the statement of claim may also be left at the business address of the debtor or a fee can be paid to the court to post the statement of claim directly to the debtor.

Ideally a debtor will settle the debt before a court date however you need to be prepared that this may not be the case and you may need court assistance to retrieve your money!

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Letter of Demand. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://www.legal123.com.au/.

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How to Compose a Jury Duty Excuse Letter

A jury duty excuse letter states that a person cannot attend jury duty due to extenuating circumstances and will not be present even though they were asked to go. This letter asks for exemption from it and explains why the situation in question requires special consideration. However, it is important to note that not every excuse will work. Many excuses are simply not seen as valid by the court system. Nevertheless, the letter should be right to the point.

Instructions:

1. The first step is to locate the phone number near the end of the jury duty summons letter, usually printed in bold. This phone number will provide the person in question with someone who can be talked to about it.

2. After calling the number, it is important to ask for the person in charge of jury duty scheduling. This person will be able to listen to the reason why someone cannot make it to it and determine whether or not that reason is valid. If the reason is valid, it is necessary to write a excuse letter. This letter needs to be mailed to the court and it needs to explain the situation in detail. The jury duty scheduler will provide the caller with a mailing address.

3. It is important to use standard business letter format. The opening paragraph should state the reason for writing the letter, which is to explain why the person in question will not be attending jury duty. The next paragraph should explain that reason in depth. It is important to always maintain a professional and courteous tone.

4. The closing of the letter should always offer apologies for not being able to attend. The letter should be signed by hand at the bottom. It should always be mailed by certified mail, which will ensure delivery.

Tips:

It is important to contact the courts in a timely fashion and not wait until the last minute to write the letter. If there is no response within two weeks, it is important to contact the court and see if the letter was received.

Every state has a unique process for handling exemption from jury duty. Some states require an appearance before the judge, where the person has to state why they can't attend. This can also vary based on the county of residence of the person in question. It is important to contact the local court in order to find out the specific requirements for exemption from jury duty.

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