A money claim must normally be filed within three years from when the payment fell due. A written acknowledgement of the debt or a part payment made before that period ends starts a fresh three years. The free consultation dates each old invoice, looks for acknowledgements in your correspondence, and recommends an urgent notice or filing for those still within time. Nothing upfront; 30% on recovery.
Dating the debt correctly
Limitation runs from when the payment became due, not from the invoice date: for a 60-day invoice, from day 61. For a running account between traders, limitation can run from the close of the year in which the last item was entered. These distinctions move the deadline by months and the consultation works them out invoice by invoice. The limitation period calculator gives a first estimate.
Finding an acknowledgement
Go through emails, letters, WhatsApp chats and ledgers. Any of these can be a written acknowledgement if made by the buyer or its authorised person before the period expired:
- A balance confirmation signed or emailed for audit
- A message saying payment will be made, even without a date
- A reconciliation statement showing the balance
- A part payment, including TDS deposited against your invoice
- A request for a discount or time, which admits the debt
Bring everything; the expert decides what qualifies.
Options by age
| Age | Position | Step |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | Comfortably within time | Notice, then Samadhaan, summary suit or arbitration |
| 2 to 3 years | Within time but closing | Notice drafted to draw an acknowledgement; file promptly |
| Over 3 years, acknowledged within time | Revived | File within the fresh period |
| Over 3 years, no acknowledgement | Time-barred for a suit | Commercial negotiation only; a time-barred debt may still be paid voluntarily |
Why old dues still settle
Buyers who ignored reminders for two years often pay on an advocate's notice because the matter is now about to be filed and the notice attaches the proof. 60% of FundRaksha matters settle before court, and old dues are among them. If you decide to go ahead, a dedicated advocate is assigned within 24 hours of your complete documents and the legal notice goes out as an e-notice, followed by registered post. Nothing is charged upfront. If you proceed, FundRaksha Legal charges 30% only on the amount actually recovered; if nothing is recovered there is no success fee. Court fees, where a matter is filed, are borne by you and told to you in advance.
See payment pending for the earlier milestones, debt recovery company in Kanpur and in Ludhiana for cities where long trade credit is common, and the steel and metals page.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.