A client owes me £4,200 and won't respond. Here's my escalation playbook.

It happens to almost every freelancer eventually. You deliver the work, send the invoice, and... silence. No payment. No reply. Just ghosting. I've been through this three times now. The first time I panicked and wrote it off. The second time I fumbled through it. The third time I had a system. Here's the exact playbook: Week 1: Friendly nudge "Hi [Name], just checking invoice #247 (£4,200, due 15 Feb) didn't slip through. Can you confirm when payment will be processed?" Keep it short. Assume good faith. Most late payments are just admin delays. Week 2: Firmer follow-up "Following up on invoice #247 for £4,200, now 14 days overdue. Please confirm a payment date by Friday. Happy to discuss if there's an issue." Still professional, but you're setting a deadline. Week 3: Formal notice This is where you mention the law (UK-specific, but most countries have equivalents): "Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, statutory interest of 8% + Bank of England base rate app