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Clients: Can I change the collection partner on my case?

In most situations, you cannot switch to a different pre-legal collection partner while your case is active. This article explains why, and outlines what options you have if you are unhappy with your current partner or want to explore alternatives.

Problem

You want to change the collection partner working on your case, but you cannot find an option to do so in the platform.

Why This Happens

Debitura operates on an exclusivity model for pre-legal debt collection. When you submit a case under standard terms, a collection period begins. During this period (typically 6 months, with possible extensions), the assigned partner has exclusive rights to work your case.

This means you cannot:

  • Engage other debt collection agencies for the same claim

  • Withdraw the case without paying the Withdrawal Fee (except where the Severe Breach Carve-Out applies)

  • Switch to a different partner within the same jurisdiction

The exclusivity clause is part of the Standard Debt Collection Agreement (SDCA) you signed when submitting your case.

Your Options

Depending on your situation, you have three main options:

Option 1: Wait for the collection period to end

After the collection period expires (and no extensions have been triggered by debtor payments or promises to pay), you may withdraw your case freely without owing any fees. You can then resubmit the case to potentially be matched with a different partner, or pursue other avenues.

The initial collection period is 6 months. It extends automatically by 12 months if the debtor makes a payment, signs a payment agreement, or provides a written promise to pay.

Option 2: Pay the Withdrawal Fee to withdraw early

If you need to withdraw your case during an active collection period, you may do so by paying the Withdrawal Fee (calculated as if the full Principal Amount had been recovered) plus any partner-added fees.

Exception - Severe Breach Carve-Out: If a Partner Severe Breach has been upheld through the complaint process, you may withdraw the affected case without paying the Withdrawal Fee or any other financial penalty.

To request early withdrawal:

  1. Go to your Cases list and open the case you want to close

  2. Select the option to request case closure

  3. Confirm that you accept the fee obligations

  4. The partner will receive your request and finalize the closure

See How to close or withdraw a case for detailed steps.

Option 3: Request legal action on your case

If your case needs legal action (court proceedings or enforcement), you can ask for it - but on a case that already has a collection partner, this is not a route to a different provider. The partner already working your case is the one who prepares the legal quote. The case is never closed, no new case is created, and the case is never reassigned through this flow: same partner, same case, same chat thread, with your full history carried forward.

You receive a single legal quote from that same partner and you approve or decline it in place. Approve and decline are your only two choices.

To start, open the case, go to the Files & Documents tab and use Request Legal Action on the Legal Foundation card. It is not in the case Actions menu. Step-by-step: Clients: How to request legal action on an existing case.

The prompt is available while the case has an assigned collection partner, is Active or Paused, is still pre-legal, is on standard SDCA terms, and has no quote already awaiting your decision. Confirming your request posts an editable, pre-filled message into the case chat. It does not create a lead, a quote, a legal instruction or a phase change, it does not put your case out to other firms, and nothing is authorised and no fee is agreed merely by sending it. Your partner then decides whether legal action is appropriate and, if it is, structures it as a priced legal quote.

When the quote arrives, see Clients: Your collection partner sent you a legal quote - what to do.

Debitura's network of attorneys and law firms is a routing path at the start of a case, not an alternative to the partner already working it. It applies when no partner matched your case when you submitted it, or when the partner you were assigned declined it and your settings allow us to reshare it. Only in that journey do several partners bid so you can compare quotes and pick a winner - a case that instead has a single partner assigned to it produces one quote from that partner, which you accept or decline.

Legal work falls outside the standard collection agreement and is priced separately. The quote carries its own pricing model - hourly rate, flat fee, success fee or a hybrid - and if you approve it, the new terms referencing that quote supersede your prior terms for the case, and the case advances to the legal or enforcement phase the quote targets.

Why Partner Changes Are Restricted

The exclusivity model exists for good reasons:

  • Partners invest time and resources into each case from day one

  • Consistent debtor communication improves recovery rates

  • Clear accountability ensures professional service delivery

Partner reassignments are only possible in exceptional circumstances and require Debitura administrator involvement. These situations typically involve cases where no payments have been recorded and the current partner cannot continue working the case.

If your case is ever reassigned, your full chat history with the previous partner carries over automatically - nothing is lost.

Escalation

If this does not resolve your issue, contact support and include:

  • Your case reference number

  • The reason you want to change partners

  • Any relevant documentation or communication history

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