What Makes a Good Collections Law Firm?
That seems to be the state of being for many Americans these days; it’s the fact that they’re completely saddled with an enormous amount of debt that they can’t currently shoulder at all, and now all they get are any of these in any order for a very long time:
1. Phone Calls
2. Letters in the Mail
3. More Phone Calls
4. More Letters in the Mail
5. And Then More Phone Calls
6. And Then a Letter in the Mail Pursuing ‘Legal Action’
It can be a pain.
Fortunately, There Are Choices: Two of Them, Actually
You can either:
1. Ignore the Phone Calls and Letters
2. Or…. Contact a Good Collections Law Firm
Right off the bat it would seem that the first option’s the way to go. It’s easy. It’s simple. It doesn’t cost money to throw away those envelopes and let the phone ring.
And besides – what can those debt collectors do about it? Pursue ‘legal action’? If you have no income, what’s the point? Moreover, collections law firms cost money as well.
Doesn’t that almost seem counter-productive? You’re in debt, no income, and you’re going to hire a debt collections law firm to handle the issue and then pay them more of the money you still don’t have!
Something’s not right here….
Here’s a Little Piece of Advice….
It should be an easy decision. But with that decision come the knowledge of really what makes good debt collections law firms.
First off, know this: those phone calls and letters won’t go away.
Secondly, while it may seem harmless that a debt collector will be pursuing ‘legal action’ when you have no income, you’re going to find out real quick that the ‘legal action’ will commence once you do have income. It’s almost like a predator waiting in the weeds.
So what’s the choice then?
Hire a Collections Law Firm. And a Good One.
You have to understand that it’s not what you think, though.
It’s not like a collections law firm is going to take debt collectors to court and prove grounds for dismissal and force them to drop the debt, stop the calls, stop the letters, and leave you alone.
This isn’t a criminal law firm. It’s a collections law firm.
Rather, good collections law firms know that it’s about these concepts in the courtroom:
1. Negotiation
2. Communication
3. Compromise
4. Convenience
There are no juries here. No “opening statements.” No “witnesses,” per se. Typically, it’s a hearing between a debt collector and you, only you’re represented by your hired lawyer from one of the debt collections law firms you’ve researched.
Good collections law firms will….
1. Handle All Communication With the Debt Collector
2. Investigate Any Violation of Laws on the Debt Collector
3. Negotiate a Fair Settlement
4. And Write Settlement Contracts
What All of This Does for a Client
You can see right there that excellent collections law firms effectively stop all the phone calls and letters simply by stepping in and taking over the communication. They’re handling the debt issue now. That’s their job.
So instantly, the client feels a sense of relief.
Now remember reading about the dream saying that a lawyer’s going to breeze into the courtroom and prove that you don’t owe even a shadow of one dollar to a debt collector for whatever reason, and that it’s not common.
It’s true. It’s not common. But it does happen. Debt collectors may overstep their bounds by committing these actions:
1. Harassment – Violent Threats or Harm, Public Display of Consumers Unwilling to Pay, Profanity, Frequent Calling, Calls Before 8 AM or After 9 PM, Automated Phone Calls on Your Cell Phone.
2. False Statements –
Claiming to Be Government Officials (They’re Not),
Implying That You’ve Committed a Crime,
Claiming to Work for a Credit Bureau (They Don’t),
Falsify the Amount of Debt,
Stating That Sent Documents to You Are Not Legal Forms (They Are),
Warn You of an Issued Warrant for Arrest Due to Non-Payment,
Declaring That They’ll Seize, Garnish, Attach, or Take Collateral for Debts Without Official Legal Action, Threaten a Lawsuit (That Hasn’t Officially Been Filed).
A lawyer for a collections law firm can file a lawsuit on your behalf if evidence is shown that any of these actions have taken place, and statutory damages can be awarded at the amount of $500 to $1,500.
So it’s important to know that it does happen.
What About Paying the Lawyer?
Yes, these debt collection law firms do charge. And some charge hourly. The most important thing to know, though, is that they also charge a “contingency” fee at the end of the lawsuit (or settlement agreement), which is generally a percentage of the award or amount. They may tack on the accumulated hourly rate as well on that.
This is important to know for one reason: chances are you won’t pay a dime for legal representation. So no worries.
It does make a world of sense to not have to pay for a service that’s offered to help you from another type of service you also can’t pay for. Sort of adding insult to injury.
On the Subject of Settlements….
It happens a lot, actually – and in the long run, even the settlements benefit the clients. Why? Because the end result is a fair agreement to ‘settle’ the debt at a lower amount, with the attorney taking a percentage of that amount.
The good thing about this aspect of debt collection law is such a process may never even enter into court. That takes care of any hourly rate charged by the lawyer. But moreover, what the settlement does is free you of your debt – at a lower cost.
These Collections Firms Will Do All the Writing
And in many ways, that’s the harder deal – all that writing. The lawyer does it for you, too. They draw up the contract, they stipulate the amount per month – with the knowledge and consent of the client, of course.
And everything’s taken care of.
That’s What a Good Debt Collections Firm Can Do
So don’t fret. The calls can be a stressor in your life, but there are options to get you out of that financial hole.
All you need to know is what makes a good collections law firm. And now you know.