6 Best Debt Recovery Lawyers in Singapore (2023)

What should you do if a friend refuses to pay up a personal loan extended by you through an IOU, or if a client fails to settle the outstanding amount for goods delivered or services provided by you?

When it comes to debt settlement, hiring a debt recovery lawyer might be your best option. A debt recovery lawyer would be able to assess your situation and determine the best course of action that you can take to recover the debt that you are owed.

To help you in your search, we have put together a list of the 6 best debt recovery lawyers in Singapore.

1. Mohamed Baiross
2. Radika Mariapan
3. Ronald JJ Wong
4. Nadia Moynihan
5. Amos Cai
6. Walter Silvester

1. Warm and Approachable: Mohamed Baiross

Mohamed Baiross is the founder and managing partner of the renowned law firm, I.R.B Law. He is often praised by his clients for being down-to-earth and genuine. He is warm and approachable, always readily contactable on WhatsApp, and answers any questions patiently and clearly. Mr Baiross is well-versed in various areas of law, and is adept at handling debt recovery cases.

Client Review by Zach Soo, 18 March 2022

“Mr Baiross provided clear guidelines within the law on debt recovery. He made it easy to understand and answered all my queries.

IRB will be my go-to law firm on any legal matters.”

Contact Mohamed Baiross for your debt recovery matter here.

2. Patient and Innovative: Radika Mariapan

Radika Mariapan is the managing director of Fidelis Law Corporation and specialises in commercial litigation matters. She also has vast experience in debt recovery claims, ensuring that her clients are able to recover debts at an affordable legal cost.

Radika Mariapan is known for her exceptional work ethic. She is patient and understanding, and her clear advice and ability to think out of the box make her one of the most trustworthy debt recovery lawyers in the business. You can be assured that she will handle your matter efficiently and effectively.

Client Review by Barry Brown, 24 March 2016

“I contacted Radika Mariapan at [Radika Mariapan’s former law firm] to handle a debt collection matter with my former Singapore employer. I worked with Radika as well as her colleague Dinesh Shah. I am based in the UK and all correspondence was via email. From my initial contact Radika immediately replied, quickly and fully understanding the matter I wished to resolve. She was extremely professional and all her correspondence, as well as that from Dinesh, was very prompt, detailed, clear and concise. With her prompt and clear action my debt collection matter was quickly resolved. [..]”

Contact Radika Mariapan for your debt recovery matter here.

3. Dependable and Nimble: Ronald JJ Wong

As a director of Covenant Chambers LLC, Ronald JJ Wong is knowledgeable and skilled in commercial litigation and arbitration. He was lauded as one of Singapore’s Top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal in 2018 and 2019, and has earned the trust of his clients by working tenaciously to resolve their cases. Ronald’s clients commend him for his efficiency, promptness and sound legal advice, which demonstrate his deep understanding of legal issues.

Client Review by Serena, 31 March 2022

“I’ve had the chance to engage Ronald for his legal services, and I must say that Ronald has been a truly dedicated, professional, efficient and understanding lawyer. He is intelligent, thinks and works fast, understands issues easily and provides excellent advice and analyses. He is also reliable and always prompt in responding to emails and calls, regardless of the time of day. Engaging in legal matters can be stressful, but Ronald also provides the interpersonal touch and emotional support and comfort, reminding us that he is there to support us, help us and even shoulder the burden for us. I would highly recommend Ronald to anyone looking for legal advice and support.”

Contact Ronald JJ Wong for your debt recovery matter here.

4. Detailed and Intelligent: Nadia Moynihan

Nadia Moynihan is a director of August Law Corporation. Her practice represents a broad cross-section of the kind of legal services that most businesses and individuals typically need, ranging from civil practice to criminal disputes and matrimonial claims. She also has extensive experience in debt collection matters.      

Nadia Moynihan also shares her knowledge through blog posts on the types of cases she handles. Read here for an article that Nadia had previously written on recovering unpaid invoices.

Client Review by Charles Penafort, 29 May 2016

“As a client who has had the pleasure of working with Ms Nadia, we are extremely pleased with her professional work. Ms Nadia possesses a sharp legal mind and pays extensive attention to the details of the case matter. She exhibits maturity and experience beyond her years. Her warm personality coupled with her diligent and sincere attitude made working with Ms Nadia a pleasant experience. We believe that Ms Nadia conducts herself in an exemplary manner and is definitely an asset to the legal profession in Singapore. We would have no hesitation to recommend her to any future clients who expect a smart professional legal service.”

Contact Nadia Moynihan for your debt recovery matter here.

5. Trustworthy and Competent: Amos Cai

Amos Cai is a director and the head of disputes practice at Yuen Law LLC. He handles a wide range of criminal and commercial disputes, including debt recovery. Whenever Amos handles a case, he is always motivated to seek the most pragmatic modes of resolution for his clients.

His commitment to excellence in his work and quick thinking have led to many successful outcomes for his clients, winning their trust and confidence.

Client Review by Kimyong Lee, 17 December 2020

“We engaged Yuen Law for a particular issue, and I would like to thank Amos especially, who was really helpful and guided us with alot of clear explanations and ideas on how to take the case, from the start till the case was settled. We manage[d] to get a favorable outcome all thanks to him!”

Contact Amos Cai for your debt recovery matter here.

6. Responsive and Committed: Walter Silvester

Walter Silvester practised in top local firms before founding Silvester Legal LLC. He is competent in all areas of drafting matters and disputes work, including debt recovery. He ensures prompt and clear client communication in all stages of a case, and strives to offer quality services that he has been accustomed to provide in bigger firms at an affordable rate.

Client Review by Hock, 2 August 2019

“Got to know Walter via the Singapore Legal Advice website whereby he is the first to respond to my enquiries. He is also very accommodating in allocating time to meet me on the same day. He provided valuable advice and definitely helped me to view the issue from another perspective. Walter is very professional and definitely experienced as well as knowledgeable in the law of civil litigation. Highly recommended.”

Contact Walter Silvester for your debt recovery matter here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I hire a debt recovery lawyer?

When it comes to debt recovery, you might be deciding between hiring a debt collector or a debt recovery lawyer. Simply put, in the event that your debtors refuse to pay up, debt collectors do not have the legal expertise to assist you if you wish to recover your debts through the court process as compared to an experienced debt lawyer. Moreover, we recommend that you hire a debt recovery lawyer for the following reasons:

• Giving a practical assessment of your case: A practical assessment of your case is extremely important because it will help you in determining your options and planning your next move to ensure you get the best possible outcome for your claim. A lawyer would also be able to help you determine the most cost-effective way for you to pursue your claim, which can help you save costs and time as well.
• Transparency of fees: Based on the complexity of your case, a lawyer would be upfront about the fees that they would charge for handling your matter and provide a breakdown of the fees. This way, you can be assured that you are not going to be overcharged or incur any hidden costs for your matter. On the other hand, debt collectors have different fee structures (e.g. percentage or commission-basis) and may not be as clear about what you are expected to pay them. You may therefore end up incurring even higher costs in the process, even if your claim is straightforward or less complex.
• Potential risks of hiring a debt collector: You should also be aware that although engaging a debt collector is not against the law in Singapore, debt collectors might engage in tactics that are against the law in order to recover your debt.

For more information, you may refer to our article on the reasons for choosing a debt recovery lawyer over a debt collector.

What is the debt recovery process in Singapore?

A debt recovery lawyer will first assess whether your case involves a clear-cut debt, or whether the sum is actually contested (if the latter is true, the lawyer can continue to work on your case as a civil claim). 

Assuming that the debt is a clear-cut one, your lawyer will assist with profiling your debtor to determine whether your debtor has sufficient assets to repay the debt. If the debtor faces genuine financial difficulties, it may not be worthwhile to pursue legal action. 

In such a situation, your lawyer may help you negotiate a repayment plan with your debtor. Under such a plan, you and your debtor may agree to a scheduled payment plan where the debtor will repay the debt in monthly installments. If your debtor does not agree to such a plan, your lawyer may then commence bankruptcy proceedings against the debtor. 

On the other hand, if your lawyer believes that your debtor has sufficient resources to repay the debt but refuses to do so, they may then send a letter of demand (LOD) to your debtor demanding payment. Such an LOD may also include the threat of legal action in the event of non-payment. 

If your debtor still fails to pay up, your lawyer can assist in commencing legal proceedings against your debtor to obtain a court judgement for the debt, which validates your debt in the eye of the law. If your debtor still refuses to pay up after the court judgement is issued, your lawyer may then commence an enforcement proceeding to request the court to issue an Order for Seizure and Sale of Property to your debtor. Your debt will then be recovered from the sale of your debtor’s property (e.g. their house, or a motor vehicle).

You may read here for a more detailed discussion of the debt recovery process.    

How much does a letter of demand for debt recovery cost in Singapore?

Most lawyers or law firms would charge a fixed fee for drafting a letter of demand (LOD). This fee is typically in the range of between $100 and $450, although the exact fee would also depend on the complexity of the matter.

You should consult a lawyer for further advice and a more detailed quote for your case.

How do I choose the best debt recovery lawyer for my matter?

In general, lawyers with more experience and success in debt recovery matters will be better placed to assess your case and help you devise the best strategy for recovering the debt that you are owed.

However, you should also consider your budget and your language preference when you make your decision, as different lawyers have different fee ranges as well as proficiencies in various languages or dialects that you may be more comfortable with.

You may also wish to speak with several lawyers to get their initial assessment of your case and obtain a fee quote for your matter. You can then make a decision to go with the lawyer that you feel is best suited for your case.

What is the cost of hiring a debt recovery lawyer in Singapore?

Generally, debt recovery lawyers would either charge a fixed fee or hourly rate depending on the complexity of the matter and the extent of work that is required. Fixed fees would typically apply for standard matters like drafting an LOD (explained above) and would be in the range of a few hundred dollars.

For debt recovery matters that are disputed (i.e. you might need to civil commence proceedings in court to recover the debt), you can expect to pay a higher fee depending on how long the proceedings might take, as well as the lawyer’s seniority and level of expertise.

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If you are looking to recover your debts, hiring a debt recovery lawyer is your best option. An experienced lawyer can help you assess your case and determine the best course of action for your case. Moreover, a lawyer can assist you with any legal processes if you decide that court action is required to recover your debts.

Head over to our Find a Lawyer Service here and get started with your search for a professional debt recovery lawyer.