Common questions about debt collection and receivables management.

incaseof.law combines the speed of a software solution with the legal certainty of a regulated institute. Traditional debt collection agencies often work file-based, with system breaks between extrajudicial collection and court, and with remuneration models that keep a share of the claim. incaseof.law instead combines a fair cost structure with no success commission and no deduction from the principal claim, fully digital case handling with transparent status tracking in the portal, and a direct connection to electronic legal communication with the courts (ERV), through which judicial steps are initiated without switching systems. What that looks like inside a company is shown on the page about digital receivables management.

No, and that is deliberate. incaseof.law uses AI only to read supporting documents from the customer portal and court requests to correct a filing, and the team always checks the result. Only instalment plans run automatically, under fixed rules that are the same for everyone. A person decides on dunning stages, the recommendation to file a payment-order claim and every step towards court, and nothing is filed until the creditor approves it. The legal assessment, meaning the validity of the claim, limitation periods, objections and the escalation strategy, remains the responsibility of qualified case handlers at incaseof.law. Automation under legal supervision instead of an algorithm without control: that is the difference that counts when a claim is disputed.

For creditors there is no success commission, and no share of the principal claim is withheld. The costs caused by the default are generally borne by the defaulting debtor. What the customer owes goes in full to the creditor's account after successful collection: your money belongs in your account. The complete breakdown including a calculator is set out under debt collection costs.

Because incaseof.law deducts no share of the claim: you receive 100% of the principal claim. Many established providers, traditional institutes as well as newer AI platforms, finance themselves through a commission on the recovered claim. A share of every euro collected then stays with the service provider. At incaseof.law the service is covered by the default interest and collection costs borne by the debtor, so the principal claim reaches the creditor without deductions. The smaller the claim, the clearer this difference becomes.

In Austria, collection costs are a substantive claim for damages under § 1333 para. 2 ABGB: the debtor reimburses the necessary and appropriate costs of pursuing the claim, provided they are proportionate to the claim. The maximum rates are set by the regulation on the maximum fees payable to debt collection institutes (BGBl. no. 141/1996 as amended). In Germany, reimbursement follows §§ 286 and 288 BGB in conjunction with the RVG. incaseof.law charges exclusively within the legally permissible framework.

Yes, but not at the creditor's expense. When the debtor pays in full, the services are covered by the default interest and collection costs borne by the debtor. The principal claim reaches the creditor without deductions. incaseof.law finances itself from the default, not from the creditor's revenue.

A claim can be handed over as soon as it is documented, due and undisputed on the merits, for example through an open invoice. Previous reminders are helpful, but not a requirement. For judicial enforcement it is also relevant that the claim can be quantified and the debtor clearly identified. You can submit a claim online at any time.

We pursue due and undisputed claims where the debtor is in default of payment. A claim counts as disputed if the debtor raises a specific objection backed by evidence, for example proof of payment dated before our first letter, a written complaint about quality or quantity, or the defence of limitation. A blanket denial without reasons, or a standard template such as "I dispute the claim in its entirety", is not enough. We accept such claims and continue to pursue them.

If a claim is disputed with reasons, we can obtain offers from our partner lawyers on request, who will enforce the claim through legal proceedings. They are only instructed after your express approval.

If the debtor raises a substantiated objection only during collection, the case remains open. We inform you, and you decide how to proceed, for example enforcement through our partner lawyers. If you withdraw the case, it counts towards your free cancellation quota.

It makes sense whenever liquidity needs to be protected and your own team relieved of dunning work. It is especially worthwhile for recurring payment defaults and for smaller claims that would otherwise hardly be worth enforcing, without straining the customer relationship. How much capital Austrian companies tie up in unpaid claims is shown by the study from incaseof.law (n = 149,916 companies, 2026).

The creditor uploads the outstanding claim, incaseof.law takes care of the rest. The case team sends reminders out of court first and, where necessary and once the creditor approves, takes the claim to court: in Austria via electronic legal communication (ERV), in Germany via the electronic system of the dunning courts. The status of every claim is transparently visible in the portal at any time. The complete process is shown on the page how debt collection works.

This is decided case by case. Recent, undisputed or smaller claims usually take the extrajudicial route first, which protects the customer relationship. Older cases go directly into court proceedings where needed and once the creditor approves, in Germany through the automated application for default summonses and enforcement orders, in Austria through the summary payment action and the enforcement application in the ERV. The individual stages are explained in the guide how debt collection works in Austria.

The duration depends on the debtor: whether they can be reached, raise objections and are able to pay. If the debtor responds to the out-of-court request, the matter is often settled within a few weeks; the court route takes longer. You can follow the status at any time in the customer portal. If there is no response, judicial escalation follows. The direct ERV connection avoids the system breaks and waiting times that slow down traditional, file-based processes.

Please report the payment to us via the platform. You then choose between two options:

a) You keep the payment, and it is credited against the principal claim. We continue to pursue the outstanding collection costs and default interest in our own name. This costs you nothing.

b) You take over the collection costs incurred up to the payment; we invoice them to you and stop collection against the debtor. Default interest is not included.

If you make no choice within 14 days of our request, option a) applies.

Yes. incaseof.law offers a fully automated connection through which claims are handed over directly from your accounting or ERP system. The transfer is encrypted. Connections to common accounting and ERP systems are available via established integration routes. For high case volumes, the enterprise page describes the integration in detail.

No. incaseof.law is a pure web platform. All you need is a browser and your login details. For higher case volumes, the API or connector integration with your existing system is also available.

Data transmitted through our website is encrypted in transit. We also use external service providers to handle contact enquiries. Details are set out in the privacy policy.

Yes. Enforcing an open, justified claim is a legitimate interest of the company within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR and legally covers the transfer of the necessary debtor data. We process this data to collect the claim. Under our general terms and conditions, it may also be transmitted to credit reference agencies, and we use it to enforce our own claims to collection costs and default interest.

For the debtor data we process for you as part of receivables management, we act as a processor under Art. 28 GDPR; our Data Processing Agreement applies. For your own master and contract data as a client (user account, contract handling), we are an independent controller.

Responsibly. incaseof.law relies on objective, digital and telephone dialogue instead of pressure, with no field service and no home visits. In cases of demonstrable hardship, instalment plans, deferrals or, in justified cases, a waiver of default interest are offered. A fair procedure protects not only the debtor but also the creditor's reputation, and in practice leads to payment faster: peace of mind for both sides. Debtors can use the payment portal directly.

As an institute authorised in both countries, incaseof.law pursues claims on both sides of the border from a single source. For Austrian creditors with German debtors, the automated application for default summonses and enforcement orders is used in Germany; conversely, in Austria the summary payment action followed by the enforcement application in the ERV applies. The applicable cost and interest rules are taken into account per country. This dual authorisation distinguishes incaseof.law from providers registered in only one country.