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How to recover debt for goods or services in a Russian commercial court

The counterparty has not paid for goods or services. Separate principal, interest, contractual penalties and proof of performance so the claims do not become mixed together.

01Documentwhat was received or submitted02Deadlinewhen it was received and the current deadline03Riskwhat risk arises from silence or an incorrect response04Next stepresponse, administrative appeal, claim letter or court application

Where the position usually weakens

A position weakens when the document, deadline and evidence do not fit together. Start with the facts, response period and evidence chain.

01the parties calculate performance and the debt differentlydebt recovery starts with an exact financial model of the dispute
02correspondence contains promises or discounts later relied on against the claimantacceptance records, correspondence, payments and proof of performance are needed; a figure in a spreadsheet is not enough
03the claim letter does not separate principal, interest, contractual penalties and damagesweak or unnecessary claims can obscure stronger ones

What to check now

Start with the documents that explain the facts, deadline, money, goods and parties' actions rather than collecting the entire archive.

01

Compare the claimed debt with the contract, invoices, payments and performance records.

02

Review reconciliation statements or other account comparisons, if available.

03

Check correspondence about performance, outstanding amounts and the counterparty's objections.

Related situations and materials

Advance paid, but delivery does not comply with the contract

An advance was paid, but delivery did not occur or does not comply with the contract. Separate repayment, interest, performance quality and the legal basis of each claim.

Chinese supplier missed the deadline or changed the goods

The supplier missed the deadline, changed the configuration or shipped different goods. Without the contract, specification, invoice, acceptance evidence and correspondence, it is difficult to turn the dispute from emails into a formal claim or arbitration case.

The foreign-trade contract does not protect the position in a dispute

The contract is signed but does not clearly allocate responsibility for the goods, timing, acceptance, documents and payment. In a dispute, the performance model then has to be reconstructed from attachments and correspondence.

Recovery of debts, damages and unjust enrichment

The counterparty has stopped paying or refunding money. The claims now need to be separated, performance proved and weak or duplicative demands removed.

Business contract disputes in Russian commercial courts: supply, works and services

Delivery has not been completed, services are disputed, work has not been accepted, or counterclaims complicate settlement. The business needs a procedural model of the dispute; correspondence alone does not provide one.

Questions and answers on debt recovery, damages and repayment of advances

Answers on debts, interest, contractual penalties, damages, repayment of advances and unjust enrichment in commercial disputes.

Questions and answers on business contract disputes

Answers on supply, works and services contracts, acceptance, delay, termination and pre-action claims.

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