Make and serve a statutory demand, or challenge one

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When you can make a statutory demand

You can make a statutory demand to ask for payment of a debt from an individual or company.

Anyone who’s owed money (the ‘creditor’) can make a statutory demand. You do not need a lawyer.

If the debt’s over 6 years old, you cannot usually make a statutory demand. You can get legal advice instead.

There may be faster ways of getting smaller debts paid than making a statutory demand.

When the individual or company that owes you money (the ‘debtor’) receives a statutory demand, they have 21 days to either:

  • pay the debt
  • reach an agreement to pay

You can apply to bankrupt your debtor or close (‘wind up’) their company if they do not respond to the statutory demand within 21 days.