Client won’t pay your freelance invoice? Here is how to get a decision.
Send a final demand with a submission agreement. People’s Court decides the invoice on a written Record: your contract, your deliverables, and the emails. The AI-only fee is 5.67% of the amount in dispute, so a $5,000 invoice costs $283.50 to arbitrate, and the signed Award can be confirmed in court if the client still does not pay.
- $1,000 invoice
- $56.70AI-only case fee
- $5,000 invoice
- $283.50AI-only case fee
- Informal option
- $5.67nonbinding Quick Ruling
- Schedule
- 7 dayseach phase, at most
- If they still won’t pay
- 1 yearto confirm the Award in court
Step by step
- 01
Reread your agreement
Look for the price, payment terms, late fees, and any dispute clause. A signed contract helps, but a scope and price agreed in email can also form an agreement.
- 02
Send a final written demand
State the invoice number, the amount, the date it was due, what you delivered, and a firm deadline. Keep it short and factual. This message will become part of your Record.
- 03
Try a Quick Ruling if the client disputes the work
For $5.67 you invite the client to a nonbinding AI opinion on the disagreement. They reply free. It does not bind anyone and cannot be turned into a binding case, but a neutral read often ends a standoff. Get a Quick Ruling
- 04
Send a submission agreement
If your contract names People’s Court, file. If it does not, send a submission agreement for this invoice. The client accepts it, and the case is heard here. No clause signed in advance is required. Use the submission agreement
- 05
Build your Record
Gather the agreement or the scoping emails, the invoice, proof of delivery (files, links, commit history, sign-offs), change requests, and every payment message. There is no discovery, so what you submit is what the Tribunal sees.
- 06
File
Name the client, state what you delivered, the amount due, and what you are asking for. The exact fee appears before you pay. File at intake
- 07
Follow the schedule
The client has up to seven calendar days to answer, then each side files evidence at the same time, then rebuttal. You confirm the summary of your filings within 24 hours.
- 08
Get the Award, then collect
The Award states who owes what. Each side has seven days to request a correction or appeal to a human arbitrator, unless both waived it. If the client still will not pay, you can ask a court to confirm the Award. See how Awards are enforced
What it costs
| Invoice amount | AI-only case fee |
|---|---|
| $250 | $14.18 |
| $1,000 | $56.70 |
| $2,500 | $141.75 |
| $5,000 | $283.50 |
| $10,000 | $567.00 |
The filing party pays the case fee. It is fixed before the case begins, is separate from the money in dispute, and never depends on who wins. Small claims court stacks a clerk filing fee, a sheriff or process server, parking, travel, and copies, then a weekday at the courthouse. For a written opinion that does not bind anyone, the Quick Ruling is $5.67.
Put it in the next agreement
Add the People’s Court model clause to your freelance agreement now, so the next invoice is already covered. The clause migration guide walks through the change.
Common questions
What can I do if a client won’t pay my freelance invoice?
Send a final written demand that states the amount due and includes a submission agreement for People’s Court. If the contract has no clause, the client accepts that agreement and you file. A Quick Ruling is a nonbinding read if you want one before the binding case.
How much does it cost to arbitrate an unpaid invoice?
AI-only cases cost 5.67% of the amount in dispute, with a $1.67 minimum. A $1,000 invoice costs $56.70 and a $5,000 invoice costs $283.50. The fee is shown before you pay and never depends on who wins.
What evidence do I need?
The agreement or the emails that set the scope and price, the invoice, proof of delivery, and the messages about payment. There is no discovery, so submit everything you rely on during your filing periods.
What if the client ignores the case?
Not responding is not an automatic loss for either side. After effective notice and the deadline, the Tribunal decides from the Record whether you proved the amount you claim.
If I win and the client still doesn’t pay, what then?
You can apply to a court to confirm the Award within one year after it is made. The resulting judgment can be enforced like any other court judgment.
These answers describe People’s Court procedure and general law. They are not legal advice for a particular dispute.