Parent won't pay fees due- help! Options

[Norway]

Good for you Violinlove! Most of my parents are great but I have 2 frankly weird/pushy ones and yes, it's amazing how the whole world (music teachers included) are expected to revolve around their child's social life! I identify these very early on, and work towards managing them out at the earliest available opportunity (moved one on recently, one to go!). My families work together for concerts, ensembles, trips and so on, and so selfish people are going to be a nuisance not only to me but also to all the other pupils and parents.

[Jane S]

It's not really off topic, it is more a variation on a theme Violinlove! You get some control freaks out there, and they love to throw their weight around. They like to think that they have one over on you all the time. My particular favourite from last year was a mother who had a habit of turning up for lessons, regardless of whether she had booked or paid for them. The last time, for a slot she hadn't paid for, she proceeded to dock ?5 out of my ?15 fee as I had to go to a doctor's appointment. I wasn't going to argue you with her, but over the phone when she refused to cough up, I told her not to bother coming back. She had a habit of rearranging lessons, and once when I wasn't in for one she had cancelled, she proceeded to demand that my husband handed over my diary. he didn't I'm glad to say, but let's say she was standing on her dignity all the time.

Teaching is my income. When it comes to cancellations, I always do my best to reschedule, as I want students to have the lessons they've paid for, but I won't do it over to another term, as it eats into income.

[RoseRodent]

I couldn't honestly manage to read everything so sorry if this is a repeat but I didn't see it in a skim through. If you might use the option to pursue any kind of legal action you must terminate the lessons or start getting money upfront for them. Why? Because the law will not protect you from any hole you have dug for yourself. You have a very good chance in small claims of getting the money for fees owed to date, but if you carry on giving lessons you haven't been paid for then the law says you then failed to "vigorously pursue" the money, so you in essence forgave it or at least forgave the urgency of it and will have increased difficulty in enforcing your terms if you didn't stick to them - both parties to a contract are expected to stick to it, if the contract says you expect payment monthly you have as much obligation to try to collect as the parent has to offer payment. If they didn't pay you in January, didn't pay you in Febrauary, didn't pay you in March then you are expected to terminate and pursue the money for Jan-Mar. The court will start to have little sympathy for you racking up April's fees too. To keep your legal options open, cut off the line of credit now.