Been stuck in a frustrating situation with a client who’s late on their payment. It’s been weighing on me and I’m curious if mediation could be a solution.
Is there a point where this approach actually helps freelancers recover their dues without escalating things to legal action?
Sometimes just showing up at their office works. People pay faster when you’re standing there.
I just send another invoice with late fees added.
Mediation drags things out. If someone owes you big money, skip straight to small claims court.
Nothing gets clients moving faster than actual court papers showing up. The filing fee pays for itself.
Threatening to report them to credit bureaus works too. Gets their attention real quick.
Mediation’s overkill for most freelance work. Our invoices usually aren’t big enough to justify that hassle.
What actually works:
I get better results being direct about needing the money. “I need this payment by Friday to keep your project moving.”
Most late payments aren’t personal. Clients get swamped or accounting moves slow. A quick call fixes it faster than any formal process.
Only use mediation when someone’s dodging you or fighting about work quality.
Mediation can be effective if both parties are willing to communicate. The challenge is getting your client to agree. Many who delay payments may avoid discussions. I’ve found direct calls and proposing payment plans work better. If mediation fails, you’re likely going back to small claims court. Starting with demand letters and setting clear deadlines is a good first step.
Tried mediation once for a $3,200 debt. Took 6 weeks just to get it scheduled because my client kept postponing.
When we finally met, they agreed to pay half upfront and half in 60 days.
Got the first payment, never saw the second. Mediator can’t force payment, so I ended up in small claims anyway.
What worked better? Offering a small discount for immediate payment. Lost some cash but got paid fast without the headache. Now I always ask for partial payment upfront on bigger projects.
Mediation works if your client actually wants to resolve things. If they’re stalling, you’re wasting time.