Unpaid work under a contract agreement is often a documentary commercial dispute: the contractor must show what was agreed, what work was completed, how the result was delivered or accepted, and how the unpaid amount is calculated.
Contract work and payment
Under Article 702 of the Civil Code, a contractor undertakes to perform specified work and deliver its result, while the customer undertakes to accept the result and pay the agreed price. In a dispute, the written contract, specifications, acts, invoices and correspondence usually form the core of the evidence.
When simplified proceedings may be used
Article 227 of the Arbitrazh Procedure Code provides for simplified proceedings in certain monetary claims. The current monetary threshold for claims by legal entities is 1.2 million roubles. The procedure may also apply to claims based on documents confirming an acknowledged but unpaid monetary obligation or contractual debt, subject to the statutory exclusions and the facts of the case.
It is not a guaranteed shortcut. If the dispute requires examination of additional evidence, an expert review, witness evidence or other procedural steps, the court may consider it under ordinary rules.
Evidence checklist
- the signed agreement, technical specification and price terms;
- work schedules, estimates and agreed amendments;
- acceptance certificates, delivery records or substantiated evidence of performance;
- invoices, payment records and the debt calculation;
- correspondence on defects, objections, additional work or payment;
- evidence of compliance with any mandatory pre-trial demand procedure.
Common procedural risks
- unclear identification of the work or its agreed price;
- missing acceptance evidence or unresolved quality objections;
- an inaccurate calculation of principal, interest or contractual penalty;
- failure to comply with a mandatory contractual or statutory pre-trial process;
- assuming that simplified proceedings are available without checking exclusions and the evidentiary record.
Before filing a claim
- Compare the claim with the contract and every signed work document.
- Prepare a transparent calculation as of the filing date.
- Send a reasoned demand where the law or contract requires it and retain delivery evidence.
- Select the forum and procedural route based on the current law and facts.
- File a complete documentary package rather than relying on general assertions.
Legal assistance with contract disputes
I analyse construction and commercial work contracts, organise the evidence, assess the pre-trial stage and prepare claims for arbitrazh courts. The goal is a coherent, legally supported position before litigation begins.