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Debt and contract enforcement — somasi to execution

Written and reviewed by Jeremy Jordan, S.H. — licensed Indonesian advocate (advokat), DPN Indonesia, NIA 25.25.32730 · Reviewed 16 July 2026

Someone owes you money and has stopped answering. The legal question is usually simple; the recovery question is not. This service runs the ladder — asset check, formal demand, negotiation, and if needed a claim with a freeze on the debtor's assets. It starts by asking whether there is anything at the end of it worth collecting.

What you get

How it runs, step by step

MilestoneTypical timeWhat happens / your part
Asset check + somasi I–III2–6 weeksWe check the debtor's assets and send formal demands
Negotiation / payment plan2–8 weeksSettlement before suit where possible
Suit + asset freezeAt filingWanprestasi/PMH claim with a conservatory-seizure request
Judgment5–12 monthsDistrict Court decision
ExecutionSeveral months – 1 year+Aanmaning → seizure → auction (lelang)

Typical total: Paid after somasi: 2–8 weeks; litigated ~1.5–4+ years

Legal basis

Each basis above has been verified against the primary source and filed in the firm's dossier for this service. Points still under verification are not published here.

Common questions

Do I have to send a somasi first, or can I just sue?

A formal demand is standard practice before a wanprestasi claim and it does real work: it fixes the date, records the default, and often produces payment without a filing at all. It is also the cheapest step on the whole ladder. What is strictly required in your matter turns on the contract, which is why the contract is read first.

What if they move their assets before I can get to them?

That is the usual reason a claim is filed together with a request for conservatory seizure (sita jaminan) under HIR Pasal 227 — it asks the court to lock identified assets while the case runs. It has to be asked for, it has to identify real assets, and the court decides. It is not automatic.

I already have a judgment and still no money. Now what?

That is common, and it is a different job from winning. Execution is its own process, it runs in months rather than weeks, and it can only reach assets the debtor actually has. Where the asset check at the start says there is nothing to reach, the honest advice is to say so before you spend on a claim, not after.

Honest limits

The firm does not control the court, the bailiff or the auction office; every duration here is indicative of 2026 practice. This service cannot create assets — where a debtor is genuinely empty, a judgment is a piece of paper, and you will be told that before you spend on one. Insolvency and PKPU proceedings are outside this scope and quoted separately. Litigation is quoted separately from any retainer; fee is fixed in the engagement letter after intake.

Talk to the advocate

Tell us what you are dealing with on WhatsApp. That first message is intake and a conflict check — not legal advice. Advice happens in a booked consultation: Rp2.5 million for 90 minutes, credited against your fee if you retain the firm within 30 days.

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This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation, and does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Government, court, notary and bank steps are outside the firm's control; timings are indicative of 2026 practice. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case; no result is guaranteed.
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