Separate the disputed amount from the unpaid balance.
A disputed line should be identifiable within the account. Reconcile accepted and contested amounts without assuming that labelling one part undisputed resolves every legal or settlement question.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
One disputed item obscures the whole account
A refrigeration supplier sends a statement covering several installations. The customer disputes a repair charge and stops discussing the entire balance. Accounts repeats the total, while the customer repeats the complaint. A line-by-line reconciliation could make the actual disagreement and remaining payment request much clearer.
List invoices, credits, receipts and the specific disputed entries. Match each to a contract, order or work record. Correct obvious allocation errors before asking the other party to explain its position.
Do not treat an old statement total as settled evidence if later credits or payments have changed it. Keep the calculation current and reproducible.
Request the amount and reason for each objection. Distinguish a price disagreement from a quality complaint, a missing document or inability to pay. Keep the other party wording rather than substituting a more convenient description.
Business.gov.au dispute guidance recommends preparation and recording discussions. A focused schedule helps the conversation address specific items instead of repeating incompatible totals.
Ask whether the clearly identified balance can be addressed while the dispute is assessed. Obtain advice where wording, allocation or a proposed full-and-final condition could affect the wider claim.
Do not assume accepting or making a payment has no legal effect, or that the other party agrees with your allocation. Record the actual terms and seek clarification before relying on an ambiguous remittance.
Identify the documents, inspection or professional advice needed to assess the contested amount. Give each action an owner and review date. Avoid leaving the disputed line permanently untouched because some money was received.
Update accounts and the forecast separately for confirmed receipts and unresolved amounts. A clearer account supports decisions; it does not itself decide who is legally right.
