Letter from Certus Solicitors? Read this before the deadline runs out

A letter from Certus Solicitors usually means a debt has reached the litigation stage. Certus is a UK debt-recovery solicitors firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — and that means their letters carry more legal weight than a routine collector’s reminder. The deadlines printed on those letters are the most important number on the page.

This guide covers what Certus do, what they can legally pursue, and how to deal with their correspondence — including how an IVA treats accounts that Certus are pursuing.

Who Certus Solicitors are

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Certus Solicitors is a UK firm of solicitors regulated by the SRA and authorised to conduct litigation in the county courts. Their work is concentrated in consumer-credit and commercial debt recovery for a range of debt-purchaser and original-creditor clients. They issue Letters Before Claim, file county-court claims (often through the Northampton or Salford bulk-processing centres), and pursue enforcement action after a CCJ.

Where the underlying debt is regulated consumer credit, they also operate within the FCA’s CONC framework. Solicitors have explicit professional obligations under the SRA Code of Conduct — including not misleading recipients of correspondence and not pursuing unfounded claims.

Because Certus are solicitors, their letters carry more weight than a standard collector’s reminder:

• They can issue Letters Before Claim that start a formal pre-action timer
• They can issue and serve county-court claim forms
• After a CCJ they can apply for attachment of earnings, charging orders or instruct High Court Enforcement Officers

What Certus can and cannot legally do

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Certus are debt-recovery solicitors, not bailiffs. They can:

• Send Letters Before Claim and pre-action correspondence
• Issue and serve county-court claim forms
• After a CCJ, apply for any of the standard enforcement options
• Negotiate settlements on behalf of their client

They cannot force entry, take goods, threaten arrest (the matter is civil, not criminal), or invent fees and post-default interest beyond what the original credit agreement and the court allow.

What to do when Certus write to you

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The single most important number on the letter is the deadline:

• Letter Before Claim — typically 30 days to respond
• Claim form (N1) — file an acknowledgement of service within 14 days to keep your defence options open. Defence is then due within 28 days of service, extendable to 28+14 by acknowledging
• Missing the deadline is the most common cause of an avoidable default CCJ

Within the window, decide whether to dispute, defend or settle:

1. Section 77/78 CCA request — original signed credit agreement, current statement of account and notice of assignment. Until those are produced, the debt is legally unenforceable
2. Statute-barred check — six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland) since the last payment, written acknowledgement or court action
3. Disputed balance or wrong person — challenge in writing on the relevant court form

Submit any dispute or defence on the right form, on time, with proof of postage.

Routes out if the claim is enforceable

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• Settle in full with a written discount and a “full and final” clause
• Tomlin Order — agreed settlement terms recorded by the court but only converted to a CCJ if you default
• Affordable instalment plan through the court’s online process
• IVA to bring all your unsecured debts under one 5–6 year arrangement, including any debt Certus are pursuing — once approved they must stop proceedings on the included balance
• Debt Relief Order for total debt under £50,000 with very low spare income
• Bankruptcy where no realistic monthly contribution is possible

What happens if you ignore Certus

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The escalation track is fast:

1. Letter Before Claim — usually 30 days
2. County-court claim form — 14 days to acknowledge, 28 to defend
3. Default judgment (CCJ) — entered automatically if you do not respond
4. Enforcement — attachment of earnings, charging order or High Court enforcement on the CCJ

Once a default CCJ is in place, getting it set aside is technically possible but legally difficult and time-pressured. The window of maximum leverage is the 14 days after the claim form arrives.

Common pitfalls when Certus are involved

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• Never ignore a claim form. Default judgments are entered automatically when no acknowledgement of service is filed by day 14
• Never accept liability over the phone. Stay in writing
• Never make a part-payment before checking limitation status — it can reset the statute-barred clock
• Don’t assume the case is hopeless. Many of these claims are won by default; well-prepared defences regularly result in withdrawn claims or favourable settlements

Frequently asked questions

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Are Certus bailiffs? No. They are solicitors. Enforcement at your home would require a separate enforcement officer acting on a CCJ.

Can Certus take me to court? Yes. They can issue claim forms in their own right or on behalf of their client.

Will an IVA stop Certus pursuing me? Yes — once the IVA is approved, they must stop proceedings on the included debt.

The debt is from years ago — can Certus still claim? If the last payment or written acknowledgement was more than six years ago in England and Wales (five in Scotland), the debt is statute-barred. Raise it in writing as a defence.

Related guides

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• BW Legal — solicitors firm
• How long can I be chased for a debt?
• Can debt be written off?
• Do debt collectors give up?
• How do I apply for an IVA?