What are the options if someone owes you money and they are refusing to pay it back?

The Civil Procedure Rules has a Practice Direction setting out the requirements and what must be considered before a formal court action is issued against another party. Those requirements will differ depending on whether the debt is between individuals or businesses. We start by sending a Letter before Action to the debtor and often that results in payment. If settlement cannot be achieved pre-action, a court claim will be necessary. A Judgment may be entered against the debtor and various enforcement options can be considered including bailiffs, a charging order or serving a statutory demand.