Call us now:
Onah Attorneys Inc • Johannesburg
Debt Collection Attorneys – Turning Invoices Into Bank Balances
Unpaid invoices are not ‘part of business’ — they are interest-free loans you never agreed to give. Our debt collection attorneys recover commercial and personal debts through structured escalation: attorney letters of demand that get taken seriously, summonses, default judgments, and real execution — garnishees, attachments and sequestration threats that convert judgments into money.
Call 011 042 8039Free Case AssessmentWhen you need debt collection attorneys
Business customers ignoring invoices past 60/90 days
Individuals owing money on loans or agreements
Dishonoured cheques and broken payment promises (AODs)
Rental arrears from current or former tenants
Recovering judgment debts that were never executed
Debtor disputes and defended actions
Tracing absconded debtors
Prescription rescue — debts approaching the 3-year mark
How we handle your matter
Demand
A formal attorney letter of demand — often with a Section 129 NCA notice where applicable — resolves a substantial share of matters within 14 days.
Summons
We issue summons in the correct court and serve via sheriff, interrupting prescription and starting the judgment clock.
Judgment
Undefended matters proceed to default judgment; defended ones we litigate or settle on secured terms with acknowledgments of debt.
Execution
We attach salaries (emoluments orders), bank accounts, movables and immovables — the step where amateur collections die and ours deliver.
Insolvency pressure
For solvent-but-stubborn corporate debtors, a liquidation application concentrates the mind like nothing else.
Fees — transparent, agreed upfront
Collections run on a success-weighted model: modest fixed fees per stage plus a recovery percentage on collected amounts, agreed upfront. Party-and-party costs are claimed from the debtor wherever possible.
Key legislation:
- Prescription Act 68 of 1969
- National Credit Act 34 of 2005
- Magistrates’ Courts Act 32 of 1944
Frequently asked questions
How long before a debt prescribes in South Africa?
Most contractual debts prescribe after 3 years from due date. Prescription is interrupted by acknowledgment of debt or service of summons — waiting is the most expensive strategy.
Is a letter of demand required before suing?
Not always legally required, but commercially essential — and for credit agreements a Section 129 notice is mandatory before litigation. Attorney letterhead changes payer behaviour measurably.
What is an emoluments attachment order?
A court order compelling the debtor’s employer to deduct instalments from salary and pay them to you — one of the most reliable execution tools against employed debtors.
The debtor has ‘nothing’ — is it hopeless?
Rarely. Asset tracing, bank attachments timed to salary dates, movables at business premises, and the pressure of sequestration or liquidation proceedings routinely surface money that ‘wasn’t there’.
Can I add interest and legal costs to the debt?
Yes — mora interest at the prescribed rate (or your contract rate) and taxed legal costs are claimable. Well-drafted credit terms make the debtor carry attorney-client costs.
Should I accept a payment arrangement?
Often yes — secured by a signed acknowledgment of debt with a consent-to-judgment clause, so one missed instalment fast-tracks judgment without a full trial.
Speak to an Attorney Today
Get straight answers about debt collection attorneys from a firm that fights to win. First consultation — no obligation, full confidentiality.
Call 011 042 8039 Request a Callback