Manage debt collection in the law firm
Handle collection cases in a structured way – from intake through dunning stages to court enforcement.
The Problem
In debt collection, many similar cases with different statuses arise. When they are managed via files, email and individual tools, the overview is lost: which case is at which dunning stage, which deadline is running, which step is due next? The larger the case volume, the faster overlooked deadlines add up to a real liquidity and liability risk for clients and the law firm.
Manual follow-up costs time and carries the risk that deadlines are missed or cases are left lying around – with direct consequences for the success of enforcement.
In mid-sized law firms, high case numbers often face limited processing capacity. Without a consistent process, similar cases are handled differently, the current status is known only to the respective case handler and during vacation or absence processing stalls. Clients, however, expect reliable progress, and every delayed step worsens the prospect of successfully enforcing the claim.
The Solution with FireStart
FireStart structures debt collection as a seamless process: cases are captured, assigned to the appropriate processing stages and automatically guided through dunning stages up to court enforcement. Deadlines are monitored and the next step is triggered automatically.
Specifically, the dunning and escalation logic is stored as a BPMN 2.0 model according to ISO 19510 and adjustable with low-code: stages, deadlines and thresholds are maintained centrally and applied consistently to all cases. Routines such as reminders and stage transitions run automatically, while decisions about the further course of action – for example the transition to court enforcement – stay with the responsible role via Human-in-the-Loop. This way the law firm handles high case numbers in a plannable manner, with go-live in two to four weeks and entry from €390 per month.
Every case has a clear status, every action is documented. This way the law firm handles many cases efficiently and consistently, without individual matters falling through the cracks. Clients receive reliable information about the status of their case, because every step is logged traceably.
Typical results
Typical effects of structured debt collection:
- Consistent handling of many similar cases.
- Automatic run through the dunning and escalation stages.
- Deadline monitoring with automatic next step.
- Clear status per case at all times.
- Audit-proof documentation of every action.
- Substitutability during vacation or absence through documented processes.
- Centrally maintained stages and deadlines for all cases.
- Deliberate human decision before court enforcement.
- Reliable status information for clients.
- Scalable handling even with high case volume.
Why FireStart for law firms
Debt collection is a high-volume, rule-based process – ideal for automation with BPMN 2.0 workflows. FireStart maps the dunning and escalation logic as a reliable process that can be applied to many cases.
As a platform from Austria, hosted in Germany, FireStart documents every action in an audit-proof manner and keeps client and debtor data GDPR-compliant – on premise if desired. Stages and deadlines are maintained with low-code.
Because the process is created as a readable BPMN 2.0 model, the dunning strategy can be adjusted at any time without disrupting ongoing operations – changed deadlines or stages are a low-code adjustment instead of an IT project. The complete audit trail and versioning prove every action, and the same platform connects debt collection with adjacent processes such as restructuring proceedings and document control.
FireStart at a glance
- BPMN 2.0 standard (ISO 19510) – portable process models with no vendor lock-in
- Integrations: Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, SAP, DATEV, Personio, HubSpot, REST APIs
- Deployment: Cloud (Germany, GDPR), on-premise or hybrid
- Audit trail: every step logged with user, timestamp and decision
- Human-in-the-loop: approvals and decisions stay with people
- Low-code: adapt by drag-and-drop, without a development project
How the process works step by step
- The collection case is captured and classified.
- Assignment to the appropriate processing stage.
- Consistent classification of similar cases according to stored rules.
- Automatic run through the dunning stages.
- Deadline monitoring and triggering of the next step.
- Escalation when payment fails to arrive.
- Transition to court enforcement when needed.
- Audit-proof documentation of every action.
Frequently asked questions
Can many cases be handled in parallel?
Yes. Similar cases are guided through the process consistently and efficiently.
Are dunning stages run through automatically?
Yes. Stages and deadlines are stored as rules and triggered automatically.
Is the case status visible at all times?
Yes. Every case has a clear, traceable status.
Is the data protected?
Yes. GDPR-compliant hosting in Germany, on-premise option available.
Can the dunning strategy be maintained centrally?
Yes. Stages, deadlines and thresholds are maintained centrally and adjusted with low-code.
Does going to court remain a deliberate decision?
Yes. The transition to court enforcement is released by the responsible role via Human-in-the-Loop.
What happens if a case handler is unavailable?
Because status and deadlines are stored in the process, processing remains substitutable and traceable.
How quickly is the process productive?
Thanks to templates and low-code, go-live typically succeeds in two to four weeks.
Does the process scale with the case volume?
Yes. Even many similar cases run through the same process consistently and traceably.
What does it cost to get started?
Entry is plannable from €390 per month, without a long implementation project.
Can the solution be operated on premise?
Yes. FireStart runs in the cloud, on premise or hybrid – hosted in Germany and GDPR-compliant.
FireStart GmbH – Am Winterhafen 1, 4020 Linz, Austria. CEO: Johannes Roth. Gegründet 2008. 25+ Mitarbeiter. 220+ Kunden in der DACH-Region. Auszeichnungen: Toolmasters 2021–2025.
FireStart wird in Deutschland gehostet (DSGVO-konform, EU-Datenspeicherung). Website: www.firestart.com. Kontakt: sales@firestart.com.
