Commercial Collection Attorneys
Representing Florida businesses owed money on invoices, notes, and guaranties, from demand through judgment and collection.
A receivable that is not paid is a legal claim with a deadline. Industria Business Lawyers represents businesses in Florida in collecting commercial debts: unpaid invoices, promissory notes, personal guaranties, and the judgments that follow, and in defending companies that dispute what they are said to owe. The work runs from the first demand letter through the tools Florida law provides for turning a judgment into money.
This page explains the claims, the deadlines, the judgment collection tools in Florida’s statutes, the statutes that shift fees and costs, and what to bring to the first call. Every statute cited was read on the Florida Legislature’s site on 17 September 2026.
Every matter is assessed on its own facts, and the first question in any collection matter is whether the debtor has assets to collect from. A judgment against an empty company is a piece of paper, and IBL says so before a client spends money on one.
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Commercial Collection Matters We Handle
Commercial collection matters come in these forms, and each has its own proof and its own deadline.
Unpaid Invoices and Accounts
Goods delivered or services rendered and not paid for. Proof is the contract or purchase order, the invoices, the delivery or acceptance record, and the account history. A claim on a written contract carries five years under section 95.11(2)(b), Florida Statutes; a claim on an account or an oral agreement carries four years under section 95.11(3)(j).
Promissory Notes
A signed note is the simplest commercial claim: the note, the default, and the amount. Acceleration, interest, and fee provisions in the note usually decide what is recoverable.
Personal Guaranties
An owner who guaranteed the company’s debt is personally liable when the company does not pay. The guaranty’s terms, notice provisions, and any defences the guarantor raises are the case.
Disputed Debts
When the debtor claims the goods were defective, the services incomplete, or the amount wrong, the collection matter becomes a contract dispute. IBL handles both sides: see the breach of contract page.
Fraudulent Transfers
A debtor who moves assets out of reach before judgment. Under section 726.105, Florida Statutes, a transfer made with actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor, or without reasonably equivalent value when the debtor was left with unreasonably small assets, is fraudulent as to the creditor and can be unwound.
Judgment Enforcement
Collecting on a judgment already obtained, in Florida or domesticated from another state, through the tools described below.
From Judgment to Money: Florida's Collection Tools
Winning is the middle of a collection case, not the end. Florida law provides these tools once a judgment is entered.
Interest. Under section 55.03, Florida Statutes, the Chief Financial Officer sets the rate of interest payable on judgments each quarter. A judgment earns interest from the day it is entered, which is one reason a debtor who can pay usually does.
Garnishment. Under section 77.01, a creditor who has sued to recover a debt or has recovered a judgment has a right to a writ of garnishment against debts owed to the defendant by third parties, which is how bank accounts and receivables owed to the debtor are reached.
Proceedings supplementary. Under section 56.29, a judgment creditor holding an unsatisfied judgment may file a motion and affidavit and bring the debtor and third parties before the court to identify and reach assets, including assets transferred to others.
Liens and levies. A recorded judgment lien attaches to the debtor’s real property in the county where it is recorded, and personal property can be levied on and sold through the sheriff.
Fraudulent transfers. Section 726.105 and the sections that follow it allow a creditor to unwind transfers made to defeat collection.
The cost-shifting statutes. Section 768.79 allows either side to serve an offer of judgment that shifts fees and costs if rejected and beaten at trial. Section 57.105 allows fees against a party and its lawyer for a claim or defence with no support in fact or law. Many commercial contracts and notes also provide for the prevailing party’s fees.
The forum. Under section 34.01, county courts hear claims where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000; circuit courts hear the rest under section 26.012.
Next question: What counts as business fraud under Florida law?
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The attorneys were incredibly responsive, guiding me through every step of the process with clarity and professionalism.
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Tell Us About Your Matter
How We Work a Commercial Collection Matter
Collectability Review +
Before anything else, whether the debtor has assets: property records, corporate filings, bank relationships, and receivables. A claim worth pursuing is one that can be collected.
Demand +
A written demand that sets out the debt, the amount with interest and fees under the contract, and a deadline. Many receivables are paid here.
Filing +
The complaint in the court the amount and the contract point to, with the note, guaranty, invoices, and account history attached.
Summary Judgment +
Where the debt is documented and undisputed, judgment without trial. Most note and guaranty cases resolve this way.
Judgment and Interest +
The judgment entered and recorded, with interest running under section 55.03.
Garnishment and Proceedings Supplementary +
Bank accounts and receivables reached under section 77.01; assets and transferees examined under section 56.29.
Fraudulent Transfer Recovery +
Where assets were moved, claims under section 726.105 to bring them back.
FAQ
01 • Litigation How long do I have to collect a commercial debt in Florida?
Five years for a claim on a written contract under section 95.11(2)(b), Florida Statutes; four years for an account or oral agreement under section 95.11(3)(j). Once a judgment is entered, the judgment itself has a far longer life, and interest runs on it.
02 • Litigation The customer's company has no money but the owner does.
If the owner signed a personal guaranty, the owner is liable on it. If not, the question is whether assets were moved out of the company to defeat creditors, which section 726.105 addresses.
03 • Litigation Can I collect interest and my legal fees?
Interest runs on a judgment under section 55.03. Fees are recoverable where the contract, the note, or a statute provides for them; many commercial documents do.
04 • Litigation What does it cost?
Court fees are public and set by the clerk. How an engagement with IBL is structured depends on the matter. Contact the firm to discuss your situation.
05 • Litigation What should I bring to the first call?
The contract, note, or guaranty; the invoices and account history; proof of delivery or performance; every demand sent; and anything you know about the debtor’s assets.
Talk to a Commercial Collection Attorney
701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1550, Miami, FL 33131. Call (202) 860-1210 or send the contract, invoices, and account history through the form. Every matter is reviewed on its own facts.
This page provides general information about commercial collection in Florida and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Last reviewed 17 September 2026. Florida statutes cited: sections 26.012, 34.01, 55.03, 56.29, 57.105, 77.01, 95.11, 726.105, and 768.79, Florida Statutes (2025).