The Almost Legal journal
An unpaid invoice. A parking notice. A letter you need to get right. Practical reading for the decisions behind the documents.
Read the scope and sources alongside each article. General information, not advice on your individual matter.
The CMA wrote to every private parking operator on 16 July 2026 and said the £70 debt recovery fee has no automatic legal basis. But it runs on consumer law, and a company vehicle is not a consumer. What actually applies to a business — and the statutory code expected in December.
Read the guideBefore suing for an unpaid invoice in England and Wales, the court expects a letter — and which letter depends on who owes you. Companies get 14 days under the Practice Direction; individuals and sole traders get the 30-day Pre-Action Protocol pack. Most templates ignore the split.
Read the guideStatutory interest on a late commercial debt is 11.75% for anything that went late since 1 July — and it stays 11.75% until the invoice is paid, whatever the Bank of England does next. Plus £40 to £100 per invoice, as of right. Most businesses claim neither.
Read the guideWe pulled together a fully-sourced report on what parking fines really cost — and who ends up paying. Some of it surprised us: £64m a year docked from London drivers’ pay, half of it for fines that were winnable.
Read the guideThree independent appeals bodies report roughly a 50% win rate when parking fines are challenged — yet almost nobody appeals. Where the money goes, and why appealing is pure upside for fleets and sole traders.
Read the guideThe fine lands on the company first — but docking it from a driver’s wages without prior written authorisation is an unlawful deduction under s.13 ERA 1996. What the law actually requires, and the smarter route.
Read the guideFrom reading to doing
Challenge notices. Keep the evidence together.
Explore fines →Write a formal letter. Respond to a dispute.
Explore legal letters →Chase unpaid invoices. Prepare the next letter.
Explore debt recovery →Review terms. Compare versions. Prepare a response.
Explore contracts →Get the everyday writing off your desk.
Explore business tools →Business documents completed from your details.
Explore templates →Publication and update dates are different from source-check dates. Follow the references, consider the jurisdiction and check what has changed before acting.