Professional fee recovery
Assess unpaid retainers, progress invoices and final accounts against the engagement terms and services actually delivered.
Explore this serviceFor Architects, Engineers & Planning Consultants
Unpaid professional fees deserve a clear next step.
Recovery and dispute support for architects, engineers and planning consultants pursuing unpaid project fees and commercial accounts.
Ontario Alberta British Columbia
Support for your industry
Bring the agreement, the work and the account into focus.
A completed report or design package does not always lead to a paid invoice. Project delays, changing instructions and disagreements about scope can leave professional firms carrying an account long after the work was delivered.
We help your team organize the engagement terms, authorizations, deliverables and payment history, then assess a practical recovery approach. The discussion considers the disputed amount, the available evidence and the cost of further steps in the province involved.
Project payment disputes
Bring instructions, scope changes and client correspondence together when the reason for withholding payment needs a closer review.
Explore this serviceClaims and judgment recovery
Consider an eligible court claim or further collection steps with a clear view of the evidence, recovery prospects and budget.
Explore this serviceThe province, agreement, parties and type of claim guide the available process. We review these with your team before recommending a course of action.
Schedule a consultation
Let’s discuss your professional fees.
Tell us about your practice, the project involved and the fees your firm needs to recover.
Helpful for our first conversation
- Engagement letter, proposal and accepted fee terms
- Scope changes and instructions approving additional work
- Invoices, payment ledger and deliverable records
- Client correspondence and a short project chronology
A brief overview is enough to start. We’ll discuss how to provide the supporting records.
Thank you
Consultation request received.
Our team will review your request and follow up to arrange a consultation.
Illustrative scenarios
The kinds of matters
we can discuss.
These examples show the issues a first conversation may cover. For actual file histories and outcomes, see the published case studies below.
An unpaid final project invoice
Illustrative scenario: an engineering firm delivers its final report, but the client stops responding to payment requests. The engagement letter, delivery record and account history provide the starting point for a review.
Additional work questioned after delivery
Illustrative scenario: a planning consultant bills for additional work that a client later disputes. Written instructions, revised scopes and correspondence help clarify what was requested and how the fee arose.
The recovery knowledge centre
Information for your
next recovery decision.
Watch the issues explained
2:54Video · Michelle Haigh
Accounts Receivable Recovery for Medium and Large Businesses
Learn how structured accounts receivable recovery can help businesses protect revenue and improve cash flow.
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0:29Video · Michelle Haigh
How Legal Recovery Transforms Accounts Receivable
Explore how formal recovery processes, judgments, and settlements can help address unpaid invoices.
Watch videoRead the practical perspective
Article · Debt Recovery
When to Choose Collections vs. Legal Action: A Guide for Businesses and Lenders
Weigh recovery prospects, evidence, costs and timing when deciding how to pursue unpaid commercial invoices, business accounts and lending debts.
Read article
Article · Debt Recovery
Why Some Creditors Are Choosing Small Claims Over Superior Court
Compare small claims limits in Ontario, Alberta and BC, plus recovery prospects, legal costs and the consequences of reducing a commercial debt claim.
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Article · General
What Makes Our Best Client Relationships Work
Our best client relationships share consistent traits: clear communication, realistic expectations, and aligned goals. Learn what makes these partnerships work at Precision Paralegal Services and how we help clients achieve faster, smarter Small Claims Court results across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Read articleFrom published files
Relevant recovery
experience.
Explore the facts, decisions and outcomes of these published files, with the connection to your industry explained for each.
A professional firm recovered unpaid acoustic-testing fees through judgment and bank garnishment.
Case Study · Debt Recovery
Collecting Alberta Acoustic-Testing Fees Through Bank Garnishment
Unpaid acoustic-testing fees led to default judgment and enforcement against a construction company’s bank account, producing payment of the judgment.
AlbertaProfessional FeesDefault JudgmentBank Garnishment
Read case study Related professional-fee experience: monitoring instalments helped complete an Alberta payment arrangement.
Case Study · Debt Recovery
Recovering Professional Fees Through an Alberta Payment Arrangement
Monitoring instalments and following up on missed payments helped an Alberta professional services business complete a payment arrangement.
Small ClaimsUnpaid Professional FeesPayment ArrangementsSettlement Follow-Up
Read case study Questions from your industry
Before you refer
a matter.
Start with the questions that matter to your team, then speak with us about your specific circumstances.
Discuss Your Firm’s AccountsCan you review a disputed professional fee?
Yes. Start with the engagement terms, invoices and a brief explanation of the disagreement. We review the work, instructions and payment history before discussing whether negotiation or a court claim is a practical next step.
What if the project scope changed without a new agreement?
Include the original scope and any emails, meeting notes, revised proposals or other records of the additional instructions. Those records help us assess the fee claim and identify gaps that may affect the available approach.
Do we need to send our entire project file with the enquiry?
A short overview is enough to begin. Tell us the province, amount owing, type of work and any upcoming dates. Our team will identify which engagement and project records are needed for the review.
Can your team support recurring referrals from our firm?
We can discuss a consistent referral process for your firm, including the information required, file budgets and reporting expectations. Each account still needs its own assessment before a recovery step is recommended.
More procedural guidance
Ontario, Alberta and British ColumbiaWhat is and how Can a business do a Business Search?OntarioDoes a business need to have a record of any payments, returned cheques, etc. and/or a clear recollection of what happened and when?OntarioCan both parties talk about a settlement once a Small Claims Court claim is filed?Put the next step in perspective
Let’s discuss your professional fees.
Tell us about your practice, the project involved and the fees your firm needs to recover.