Has a French customer failed to pay your invoice?
Recovering an unpaid debt from a company located in another country can quickly become complicated. Language barriers, unfamiliar legal procedures and repeated unanswered reminders often make international creditors reluctant to take further action.
LBM Contentieux is a French debt collection agency helping foreign companies recover unpaid invoices from debtors located in France.
Whether your company is based in the United Kingdom, European Union, United States or elsewhere, you can instruct us remotely. Our team handles the collection process directly in France.
Recovering a debt from a French company
If your customer is located in France and an invoice remains unpaid after its due date, you do not necessarily need to manage the collection process yourself from abroad.
French law allows a creditor to appoint a debt collection agency to act on its behalf under a written agreement.
LBM Contentieux can take over communication with your French debtor and manage the collection process locally.
We can handle claims arising from:
Unpaid commercial invoices, goods supplied and not paid for, services already performed, contractual debts, unpaid balances, B2B transactions and other documented commercial claims.
Your company does not need to have an office or legal entity in France to instruct us.
How debt collection in France works
Our objective is first to obtain payment without immediately resorting to court proceedings.
French debt collection rules allow professional collection agencies to contact debtors on behalf of creditors, including through formal written demands, telephone contact and other compliant collection measures.
Once your claim has been entrusted to LBM Contentieux, we analyse the information and supporting documents provided and initiate the appropriate collection actions in France.
The debtor is contacted in French by our team.
Our objective is clear: obtain payment of the amount owed to your company.
Amicable debt collection in France
Amicable collection is generally the first stage.
Rather than immediately initiating legal proceedings, we seek to obtain voluntary payment from the debtor through structured collection actions.
This may include formal notices, written and telephone reminders, negotiations and follow-up of payment commitments.
French government guidance itself recommends reacting quickly to late payments and recognises that businesses can outsource unpaid debts to a professional debt collection company.
Where appropriate, a payment arrangement may be considered depending on the circumstances of the case.
Throughout the process, your company can follow the progress of its case remotely.
What documents do we need?
To assess and handle your claim, we will generally need documents demonstrating the existence and amount of the debt.
Depending on the case, these may include:
Invoices, contracts, purchase orders, quotations, delivery notes, proof that the goods or services were supplied and correspondence exchanged with the debtor.
Documents do not necessarily need to originate in France.
The stronger and clearer the supporting documentation, the easier it is to establish the basis and amount of the claim.
What happens if the French debtor still refuses to pay?
Not every debt can be recovered amicably.
If the debtor refuses to pay or fails to respond despite the collection actions undertaken, the possibility of legal proceedings can be examined.
France provides judicial mechanisms for obtaining payment of unpaid debts, including the injonction de payer, or payment order procedure.
Depending on the circumstances, the judicial phase may involve obtaining an enforceable title and subsequently instructing a commissaire de justice — the French judicial officer responsible for enforcement measures.
The appropriate procedure depends on the nature of the debt, the supporting documents, any dispute raised by the debtor and the debtor’s financial situation.
LBM Contentieux can therefore provide foreign creditors with a single point of contact for the management of their French unpaid debts.
Why use a French debt collection agency?
Attempting to recover a French debt from abroad often means sending repeated emails to a debtor who already knows that the creditor is hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.
Using a French debt collection agency changes that dynamic.
Your debtor is contacted locally by a company specialising in debt recovery and familiar with French collection procedures.
For your company, this means:
A French debt collection specialist handling the case locally.
No need to establish a company in France to instruct us.
Communication with the French debtor handled by our team.
Amicable and, where appropriate, judicial collection.
Online case monitoring, allowing you to follow progress remotely.
No upfront collection fees, under the applicable terms of our mandate.
Success-based fees, calculated on amounts recovered under the agreed terms.
Debt collection throughout France
LBM Contentieux operates throughout France.
Your debtor may therefore be located in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Strasbourg, Nice or elsewhere in the country.
Your own company’s location is not an obstacle.
We can assist creditors based elsewhere in Europe as well as companies located outside the European Union.
Do not let an unpaid French invoice become an old debt
The longer an invoice remains unpaid, the more difficult recovery may become.
A debtor’s financial position can deteriorate, a company may enter insolvency proceedings and evidence or contacts can become more difficult to obtain over time.
If your invoice has reached its due date and your reminders have been ignored, it is therefore advisable to act promptly.
Send us your unpaid French invoice and supporting documents for review.
Submit your debt collection case now
+33 9 80 89 01 22
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign company use a debt collection agency in France?
Yes. A foreign creditor can appoint a French debt collection company to pursue a debtor located in France. The relationship between the creditor and collection company is formalised through a written agreement setting out, among other things, the origin and amount of the claim and the remuneration arrangements.
Does my company need to be established in France?
No. Your company does not need a French subsidiary or office simply to instruct LBM Contentieux to pursue an unpaid claim against a French debtor.
Can you recover B2B invoices?
Yes. LBM Contentieux can handle unpaid commercial claims between businesses, subject to review of the claim and supporting documents.
Can I submit documents written in English?
Yes. English-language documents can be submitted for initial review. Depending on the judicial procedure eventually required, translations or additional documentation may subsequently be necessary.
Do you operate outside Paris?
Yes. LBM Contentieux handles debt collection throughout France. Your French debtor does not need to be located in Paris or Bordeaux.
What if amicable debt collection fails?
Where appropriate, the possibility of judicial recovery can be considered. French procedures include the payment order (injonction de payer) and subsequent enforcement measures once an enforceable title has been obtained.
How do I start?
Send us the invoice and the available supporting documents together with the debtor’s details. We can then assess the claim and determine the appropriate next steps.
Another question? Contact LBM Contentieux on +33 9 80 89 01 22
