Collection Partners: How to close a case
This guide walks you through closing a collection case in the Partner Portal, including how to select the correct close code and what happens after closure.
Goal
Close a collection case in the Partner Portal by selecting the correct close code that reflects the outcome.
When to close a case
Close a case when one of the following applies:
The debt is fully paid
The debt is partially paid
You cannot proceed (debtor bankrupt, untraceable, or statute of limitations expired)
The client has requested withdrawal
All pre-legal collection efforts are exhausted (typically after the 6-month collection period)
Recovery cost exceeds the claim value
Client-requested closures
When a client requests closure from their portal, the system behaviour depends on the case's collection period state. Review the message before proceeding with final invoicing.
Within the active collection period: The case is paused and you receive a standardized chat message acknowledging that the full success fee and collection costs apply. Close the case with the appropriate close code and issue any applicable invoices. For a withdrawal, choose Not Recovered and then Withdrawn by Client. Then send your own invoice for the Withdrawal Fee (the full success fee, calculated as if the claim had been paid in full, plus the collection costs you added to the case) directly to the client, outside the platform. The Let Debitura send it option for commission invoices is not available here, because a withdrawal creates no payout to attach the invoice to.
After the collection period has expired: The case is closed automatically with the Withdrawn by Client close code, and you receive a notification asking you to stop all collection activities. No further action is required from you to close the case.
Closing an early-stage case as a managing partner
For cases still pre-partner-view - Pending Verification Internal or Pending Verification - a managing partner can close the case directly from the Partner portal using Close case. This uses the pull-back path: the case closes with the Case never started - Internal code, no fees apply, and no collection period is started. The standard Fully/Partially/Not Recovered close-code flow below applies once a case has been accepted and is in active collection.
Steps
Open the case from your Cases Received page.
Click Close Case in the case detail actions.
Select the outcome category: Fully Recovered, Partially Recovered, or Not Recovered.
If you select Fully Recovered or Partially Recovered, the modal redirects you to register the payment first. Once the payment is recorded, the system closes the case with the appropriate success code (Paid or Partially paid).
If you select Not Recovered, choose the specific close code from the dropdown. There are 11 codes available (see below).
Add a comment explaining the closure reason. This is required when selecting Other and recommended for all closures.
Click Submit.
Choosing the right close code
Each close code indicates a specific outcome and affects your performance score differently. For a full reference of all codes, see Case close codes.
Success codes
Code | When to use |
Paid | Debtor paid the full outstanding amount. |
Partially paid | Debtor paid some amount but not the full debt. |
A payout record is created when a debtor payment is registered, splitting it between the client and you according to the agreed commission rate. Closing the case records its outcome; it does not create another payout or itself transfer money. Record recovered payments before you close the case.
Partner decline codes (no engagement penalty)
Code | When to use |
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. |
These codes do not count against your engagement multiplier. Only Case never started, Case never started - Internal, No Quotes Received and Quotes Expired – Not Accepted are unconditionally excluded from the collection score. Debtor Insolvent/Bankrupt is excluded from the collection score when the case has no collection start date; when collection started, it contributes its actual recovery percentage. The other three validated decline codes - Invalid Case Data, Debtor Untraceable and Statute of Limitations Expired - count toward it. Outside this group, Withdrawn by Client, Disputed – Legal Action Declined by Client and Settlement Rejected by Client are also excluded from the collection score, and Unresponsive Client is excluded only when the case has no collection start date. None of these four is a validated decline code.
Case never started is not one of these codes - you cannot pick it from the Not Recovered dropdown. It is assigned automatically when a case you decline with the Decline case action in Pending Verification cannot be shared with the partner network (the client has quote sharing switched off or the case is managed by another collection partner), or by the 30-day Pending Verification SLA if the case sits unactioned. A decline confirming that the debtor is insolvent, dissolved or no longer trading now closes the case as Debtor Insolvent/Bankrupt instead. Non-Exclusive (Legal Network) partners never see a case in Pending Verification, so this code does not arise for them. See How to decline a case.
Client decision codes
Code | When to use |
Withdrawn by Client | Client asks to stop collection (debtor became a customer again, internal resolution reached). |
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 stops responding to your communication, making collection impossible. |
Withdrawn by Client, Disputed – Legal Action Declined by Client and Settlement Rejected by Client are excluded from your collection score, because the client made the decision.
Unresponsive Client is excluded from your collection score only when the case has no collection start date - that is, the client went silent before collection began. It counts in full when collection had already started.
If you moved a case to More Info Required and the client never answered your request for information, Unresponsive Client is the code to use. Use Invalid Case Data only when the case information itself is wrong or unusable. The move to More Info Required already resolved your case verification task, so the close code you select afterwards does not turn the assignment into an ignored case for your engagement multiplier.
Process completion codes
Code | When to use |
Pre-Legal Exhausted – No Payment | You have completed all reasonable pre-legal collection attempts without payment. Typically used after the 6-month collection period. |
Uneconomical to Pursue | Recovery cost exceeds the claim value (small claims, remote jurisdictions, high enforcement costs relative to amount). |
Fallback code
Code | When to use |
Other | Any closure reason not covered by the codes above. You must provide a detailed comment. |
When you select Other and type a comment, the system may suggest a more specific code based on your comment. You can accept the suggestion or keep Other.
📋 Non-Exclusive Partners
Non-Exclusive (Legal Network) partners close cases the same way via the Partner Portal. The main difference is that collection periods do not apply to quote-based cases, so there is no exclusivity constraint on timing. Close codes and scoring impact are identical.
What happens after closure
Success codes (Paid, Partially paid) record the outcome. They do not create payouts or move money: payouts were created when each payment was registered, split per the agreed commission rate.
The close code is recorded and affects your performance score.
Partner decline codes do not count against your engagement multiplier.
Withdrawn by Client, Disputed – Legal Action Declined by Client and Settlement Rejected by Client are excluded from your collection score; Unresponsive Client is excluded only when the case has no collection start date.
Case history is retained for reporting and analytics.
Common mistakes to avoid
Selecting Other when a specific code fits. Review the close code tables above or the full close codes reference before choosing.
Not adding a comment. Even when not required, a brief comment helps with reporting and data quality.
Using Pre-Legal Exhausted too early. This code should only be used after completing all reasonable pre-legal collection attempts.
Confusing Uneconomical to Pursue with Pre-Legal Exhausted. "Uneconomical" is a cost-benefit decision (recovery cost exceeds claim value). "Pre-Legal Exhausted" means all standard efforts have been tried without result.
Result
The case moves to Closed status. The close code, your comment, and the closure date are recorded. Closing does not create payouts: any payouts were created when the payments were registered. You can view closed cases and their outcomes on your Cases Received page.
Related
How to export case documentation as a PDF - another action available from the same Actions dropdown.