Lifecycle statuses
Every case moves through lifecycle statuses from creation to closure. The status determines what actions are available and who is responsible for the next step.
Status | Description | Your actions |
Pending Verification | The case is assigned to you and awaiting your review. Debitura's internal validation is complete. | Accept (move to Active), request more information (move to Needs Additional Details), decline, or initiate a custom quote. |
Active | You have accepted the case and pre-legal collection work has begun. For standard cases, a 6-month exclusive collection period applies. | Update progress, register payments, pause, request additional information from the client, or close the case with an appropriate close code. |
Needs Additional Details | You have requested more information from the client before proceeding. | Move to Active once information is received, or close the case. |
Paused | Collection work is temporarily suspended (for example, pending a payment plan or client decision). | Resume (move to Active) or close the case. |
Leads | You have initiated a custom quote request for a case that does not fit standard pre-legal terms. | Submit your custom quote. The client will review and accept or decline. |
Leads Quote Given | You have submitted a quote and are waiting for the client to select a winner. | Wait for client decision. If accepted, the case moves to Active. |
Closed | The case has ended with a close code indicating the outcome. | No further actions. The case is retained for reporting and history. |
Actions by status
In Pending Verification
When you receive a new case, review the debtor details, claim amount, and documentation. You can then:
Accept - Move the case to Active and begin collection. See How to review and approve a new case.
Request more information - Move to Needs Additional Details if documentation is insufficient.
Decline - Close the case if you cannot take it (jurisdiction mismatch, conflict of interest, capacity). See How to decline a case.
Initiate custom quote - If the case does not fit standard terms (disputed, complex, requires legal action), start a custom quote flow instead of accepting at standard rates.
📋 Non-Exclusive Partners: Legal Network partners receive cases via the leads/quote process rather than direct assignment. You will see cases in the Leads status and must submit a competitive quote. You cannot accept cases at standard SDCA rates - only custom pricing is available.
In Active
During active collection, you can:
Update case progress and communicate with the client via chat
Register payments when the debtor pays. See How to report a recovered payment.
Pause the case temporarily
Close the case with an appropriate close code when collection ends
Closing a case
When closing a case, select a close code that accurately describes the outcome. Close codes affect your performance scoring and reporting analytics.
Close codes
Close codes indicate the outcome when a case ends. Some codes affect your performance score while others are recognized as legitimate declines. For a complete guide, see Case close codes.
Success codes
Code | When to use | Scoring impact |
Paid | Debtor paid the full outstanding amount | Positive - counts as collection success |
Partially paid | Debtor paid some amount but not the full debt | Positive - counts toward collection rate |
Validation: The system requires at least one registered payment. Paid requires total payments equal to or greater than the outstanding amount; Partially paid requires payments greater than zero but less than the full amount.
Validated decline codes (no penalty)
These codes represent legitimate reasons you cannot proceed. They do not count against your engagement or collection score.
Code | When to use |
Case never started | You declined the case before starting (jurisdiction mismatch, capacity, conflict of interest) |
Invalid Case Data | Critical case information is incorrect or missing (wrong debtor details, invalid documentation) |
Debtor Insolvent/Bankrupt | Debtor has filed for bankruptcy or is officially insolvent |
Debtor Untraceable | All reasonable efforts to locate the debtor have failed |
Statute of Limitations Expired | The legal deadline to collect this debt has passed per jurisdiction laws |
Client decision codes
These codes reflect decisions made by the client that prevent collection from continuing.
Code | When to use |
Withdrawn by Client | Client requested to stop collection |
Disputed - Legal Action Declined by Client | Debtor disputes the debt and client declines to pursue legal action |
Settlement Rejected by Client | You negotiated a settlement but the client rejected the terms |
Unresponsive Client | Client stopped responding to your communication |
Process completion codes
Code | When to use |
Pre-Legal Exhausted - No Payment | All pre-legal collection efforts exhausted without payment (after the collection period ends) |
Uneconomical to Pursue | Recovery cost exceeds the claim value - further collection would cost more than the debt is worth |
Other | Any reason not covered by specific codes (always provide a detailed comment) |
Partner type differences
Your experience with case statuses and actions depends on whether you are an Exclusive or Legal Network partner. See Understanding partner types for a full comparison.
Aspect | Exclusive Partner | Legal Network Partner |
Case assignment | Automatic - cases matching your coverage are assigned directly | Quote-based - you receive lead notifications and submit competitive bids |
Initial status | Pending Verification | Leads (you see the case as a lead to quote on) |
Pricing | Standard SDCA rates (unless case requires custom quote) | Custom pricing only - you set your own rates |
Declining a case | Case may go to the network as a lead (if client allows) | Simply do not submit a quote - no penalty |
Where to view case status
View all your assigned cases and their current status in your Cases Received list. Click any case to see the full timeline, chat with the client, register payments, and take actions.
Related pages
Cases in Debitura - Overview of what cases are and how they move through the system
Case close codes - Complete reference for all close codes
Standard Debt Collection Agreement (SDCA) - Key terms for standard pricing