Letter from Chafes Solicitors? Read this before you reply

A letter from Chafes Solicitors usually means a consumer-credit debt has reached the litigation stage. Chafes is a debt-recovery firm of solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and their letters typically come either as a Letter Before Claim (a formal pre-action notice) or as part of an active county-court claim.

The deadlines printed on those letters matter — they govern whether the matter ends in a default CCJ or in something more manageable. This page covers what Chafes do, what they can legally pursue, the deadlines you cannot afford to miss, and how an IVA treats accounts they are pursuing.

Who Chafes Solicitors are

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Chafes Solicitors are SRA-regulated solicitors authorised to conduct litigation in the county courts. Their work is concentrated in consumer-credit debt recovery — typically acting for debt-purchaser or original-creditor clients where balances have moved past the standard collections cycle and into formal legal action.

Because Chafes is a solicitors firm, their correspondence carries more weight than a routine collector reminder:

• They can issue Letters Before Claim that start the formal pre-action timer
• They can issue and serve county-court claim forms (often through the Northampton or Salford bulk-processing centres)
• After a CCJ, they can apply for attachment of earnings, a charging order or instruct High Court Enforcement Officers

They are bound by the SRA Code of Conduct and (for consumer credit) the FCA’s Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC).

What Chafes Solicitors can and cannot legally do

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Chafes are solicitors, not bailiffs. They can:

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

What they cannot do:

• Force entry to your home
• Take goods directly — only a court-instructed enforcement officer can attempt that
• Threaten arrest — the matter is civil, not criminal
• Add fees or post-default interest beyond what the original credit agreement and the court allow

What to do when Chafes Solicitors write to you

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The most important number on the letter is the deadline:

• Letter Before Claim — typically gives you 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 in the first window
• Missing the deadline is the single most common cause of an avoidable default CCJ

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

Three checks worth running first

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1. Section 77/78 CCA request. Send a written request under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for the original signed credit agreement, current statement of account and notice of assignment. Until those documents are produced, the debt is legally unenforceable in court.
2. Statute-barred check. Six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland) since the last payment or written acknowledgement, with no court action in that window, blocks enforcement under the Limitation Act 1980.
3. Balance check. Statements of account from old accounts can include compound interest and charges that were never properly enforceable. Ask for a full breakdown.

Submit any dispute or defence on the right court 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 agreement and a “full and final” clause.
• Tomlin Order — agreed settlement terms recorded by the court but only converted to a CCJ if you default on them.
• Affordable instalment plan through the court’s online process or directly through Chafes.
• IVA to bring every unsecured debt under one 5–6 year arrangement, including any debt Chafes are pursuing. Once the IVA is approved, they must stop the litigation on the included debt.
• Debt Relief Order for total debt under £50,000 with very low spare income.
• Bankruptcy where no realistic monthly contribution is possible.

Pitfalls when Chafes Solicitors 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.
• Don’t confuse the solicitor with the creditor. Chafes act for a client — any settlement must close the account at the client’s end too.

Frequently asked questions

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Are Chafes Solicitors bailiffs? No. Chafes are solicitors. They can take legal action and obtain a CCJ for their client, but enforcement at your home requires a separate enforcement officer.

Can Chafes Solicitors take me to court? Yes. They are a regulated solicitors firm with rights to conduct litigation, and they regularly issue county-court claims.

Will an IVA stop Chafes Solicitors pursuing me? Yes. Once the IVA is approved, they and their client must stop proceedings on the included debt.

The debt is from years ago — can Chafes still claim? If the last payment or written acknowledgement was more than six years ago in England and Wales (five in Scotland) with no court action, the debt is statute-barred and cannot be enforced.

Related guides

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• BW Legal — major UK debt-recovery solicitors
• How long can I be chased for a debt?
• Can debt be written off?
• How do I apply for an IVA?