Jira & Confluence 
Bitrix24 Unpaid invoice · demand letter · small claims
Client not paying your invoice — from a polite reminder to small claims court
Ready, not blank.
Fill it in and download it in Word for free.
Short answer. Start with a written reminder, then a demand letter. If that fails and your client is in the Philippines, money owed under a contract of service can go to small claims court when the claim is ₱1 million or less. You file Form 1-SCC with your documents and pay the filing fee.
Updated: · Next check 2027-02-02
Enter a date — we’ll count the deadlines
- Send a polite remindertype the date
- Send the demand lettertype the date
Layers never asks for a code or payment in a message.
Check your own case.
These dates are our planning suggestion, not a legal deadline. Check your contract for its own terms.
We will ask you to confirm this address, then email you the recipient’s reply.
Start typing right in the document — no sign-up. It stays in this browser; save it to your free Layers account to keep it, open it on your phone and share it.
Open the late payment notice →
Liza, Layers template assistant
Keep everything in writing from the first reminder.
Stay polite: the letter may end up in front of a judge.
Deadlines
The rules, with the source
| What | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What qualifies | Money owed under a contract of service, among others | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
| Amount | ₱1 million or less | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
| Who can file | You must be at least 18. If you are not, a parent or legal guardian may file for you | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
| Where | Where you or the defendant resides, or where a non-resident defendant may be found, at your option. In the wrong court the claim can be dismissed | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
| What you file | Form 1-SCC with all documents and evidence, copies for each defendant, notarized or administered | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
| Fee | You pay the filing fee, unless your motion to plead as an indigent is granted | Supreme Court, Form 1-B-SCC |
Checked on 1 November 2026 on oca.judiciary.gov.ph. The sheet is dated May 2022. We list no interest rate or fee amount: ask the Clerk of Court. A client abroad is outside this sheet.
What does not exist
Be careful with these.
- “Any amount goes to small claims”: The sheet says ₱1 million or less.
- “File in any court”: A claim filed in the wrong court can be dismissed.
Step by step
What to do, in order
1
Send the invoice
Amount, service, dates, due date, how to pay.
2
Send a reminder
Short and polite, in writing, the same channel you use.
3
Send a demand letter
State the amount and a date, and keep proof it was received.
4
Collect your papers
Contract or messages, invoices, proof of delivery, proof of the demand.
5
Check small claims
Client in the Philippines, ₱1 million or less, a claim for money only.
6
File Form 1-SCC
With the Clerk of Court, then note your hearing date.
Questions
Can a freelancer use small claims?
The sheet covers money owed under a contract of service, up to ₱1 million.
Which form do I file?
Form 1-SCC, the Statement of Claim, with your supporting documents.
Where do I file?
Where you or the defendant resides. A non-resident defendant: where they may be found.
Can I add interest or a penalty?
Check your contract first. We do not state a rate here.
My client is abroad. Does this apply?
The sheet does not cover that. Get advice before you file.
Official sources
Other documents
Keep the papers in one place
Letters, receipts and notices in one folder you can share with family or a lawyer. The templates and the editor are free; Layers is free for up to 20 people.
These are samples, not legal advice. The court decides.