Letter disputing a debt claimed from you

To: Whoever is claiming the money

When to send it

Send it as soon as you receive a demand you do not accept, so that your dispute is on record from the start.

What it does not do

This letter does not admit any part of the debt and does not offer to pay. Ask for the paperwork before you agree to anything.

What you fill in

Your full name
Who is claiming
Their reference number (if any)
Date of their letter
Why you dispute it

The template

[today] [Who is claiming] Dear Sir or Madam, RE: YOUR LETTER OF [Date of their letter] [Their reference number (if any)] I have received your letter of [Date of their letter]. I do not accept the sum you claim, and I dispute it. [Why you dispute it] Before I take this any further, please send me: 1. A copy of the agreement or document you say creates this debt. 2. A statement showing how the sum you claim has been arrived at. 3. The date on which you say the debt arose. Nothing in this letter is an admission of any part of the sum claimed, and nothing in it is an acknowledgment of any debt. Yours faithfully, [Your full name]

After sending

Keep a copy and a proof of sending. Do not agree to a payment plan for a debt you dispute before you have the paperwork.

These are letters to the other side, or to a body that takes written complaints. None of them is a court filing. This page is legal information, not legal advice. juris never predicts how a matter will be decided. Check the source before you rely on a passage.