Client won’t pay the agency invoice?
For marketing, PR, creative, design, digital and web development agencies working for business clients.
How can an agency get paid when a client disputes the invoice?
Refer the dispute to Dispute Neutral. Your proposals, statements of work and sign-offs are the evidence, and an independent lawyer issues a binding decision within 10 business days of the matter being ready, for a fixed fee from £650 + VAT.
Disputes we decide
Common reasons payment stops in your sector.
Scope and change requests
Extra rounds of changes the client says were included.
Retainers
Retainer fees left unpaid, or a client ending a retainer without the agreed notice.
"We didn’t like the result"
Quality complaints used to avoid paying for delivered work.
Ad spend and third-party costs
Media or software costs paid on the client’s behalf and not reimbursed.
Why use Dispute Neutral
- Proposals, statements of work, emails and sign-offs are the evidence that decides these disputes.
- Fixed fee from £650 + VAT.
- Private: no public dispute with a client.
- A binding written decision within 10 business days of the matter being ready.
Both businesses must agree to use Dispute Neutral, either through a clause in your terms or once the dispute has arisen. How to ask them.
- Example
- A web agency is owed £15,000 for a delivered website; the client disputes extra change requests. The Dispute Neutral fee is £1,200 + VAT, fixed.
- Amount in dispute
- £15,000
- Dispute Neutral fee
- £1,200 + VATfixed; can be split 50:50
- Decision
- 10 business daysfrom when both sides’ documents are in
Settle future disputes before they start
Add our clause to your terms of business and statements of work.
Questions
How much does it cost?
One fixed fee set by the amount in dispute: £650 + VAT up to £4,000, £900 up to £10,000, £1,200 up to £25,000 and £1,500 up to £150,000. For example, a £15,000 dispute costs £1,200 + VAT. The fee can be split 50:50.
Does the other business have to agree?
Yes. Both businesses must agree, either through a Dispute Neutral clause in your terms or once the dispute has arisen. We provide a ready-made invitation you can send, and free clauses you can add to your terms so future disputes come to us automatically.
Is the decision binding?
Yes. Both businesses sign an agreement to accept the decision before the case starts. It is final and binding except for fraud or manifest error. If it is not followed, it can be enforced; depending on the matter, by applying straight for summary judgment or serving a statutory demand.
How long does it take?
The decision is issued within 10 business days of the matter being ready, meaning both businesses have signed and uploaded their documents. There is no hearing.
Useful guides
- Recovering unpaid professional feesFor accountants, architects, engineers, agencies, consultants and freelancers.Article
- Add Dispute Neutral to your contractsFree clauses for your business terms, so any dispute comes straight to an independent decision.Clauses
- Statutory interest and compensation on unpaid invoicesWhat you can add to an overdue invoice automatically, with no court order.Article
Get a binding decision in 10 business days
Fixed fees from £650 + VAT. Both businesses agree, send their documents, and an independent lawyer decides.
Prevent the next one: add our free clause to your terms of business.