As of 13 August 2026, AI can only partly write a letter before action for an unpaid invoice.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   Someone with a licence or accountable authority has to sign this before it counts.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 1 hour until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open the invoice, contract, purchase order, terms and payment correspondence, and copy the relevant facts into the labelled sections of the prompt.
   2. Check the claimant and debtor's full legal names, addresses, invoice number, amount, issue date and due date against the original records before pasting them.
   3. Paste the completed prompt into a chatbot and ask it to identify the possible UK pre-action procedure before producing the draft.
   4. Compare the model's procedure, source links and assumptions with the relevant GOV.UK guidance, and remove any statement that is not supported by your documents.
   5. Compare every amount, date, contractual term and allegation in the draft against the invoice, contract and correspondence, then correct the draft without allowing the model to add new facts.
   6. Send the checked draft to a solicitor if the debtor disputes the work, raises a counterclaim, is an individual, or the sum or consequences are significant.
   7. Send the final letter using a method that records delivery, retain the letter and evidence, and diarise the response deadline stated in the checked draft.

   Prompt

   Draft a UK letter before action for an unpaid invoice. Use only the facts and documents I provide, and invent nothing.
   
   Claimant: [legal name, company number if relevant, address]
   Debtor: [legal name, company number if relevant, address]
   Invoice details: [invoice number, issue date, due date, amount, currency, goods or services supplied]
   Contract or terms: [paste the relevant clauses or describe where the agreed terms are recorded]
   Payment history: [payments received, dates, reminders and responses]
   Dispute details: [any complaint, alleged defect, counterclaim or reason given for non-payment]
   Interest and recovery costs: [state what the contract says, or leave this section out]
   Relevant correspondence: [paste only the necessary messages]
   
   First identify which UK pre-action procedure may apply, including whether the Debt Claims Protocol appears relevant, and list any missing facts that could change the draft. Do not give a conclusion that the debt is legally owed. Then draft the letter in a firm, factual and professional tone. State the amount claimed, the invoice and contract basis, the payment deadline requested, how payment should be made, and how the debtor can respond. Do not threaten court action unless the supplied facts support that wording. Separate the draft from your assumptions and verification checklist. Cite current GOV.UK or legislation sources by name and link where you rely on them, checking that they are current as at 13 August 2026. This is not professional advice, and flag the points a solicitor should check before sending.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.