It is bad enough to be in debt—but worse to have debt collectors calling. The bills piling up and left unpaid are enough of a reminder, without the phone ringing endlessly from strange numbers and individuals announcing to you that the call you are receiving is ‘on a recorded line.’ Dealing with such headaches is a special type of hell, and one that requires a permanent solution with the help of an experienced credit card debt or debt settlement attorney.
Events Beyond Your Control May Have Led to Debt
While the bottom line is simple—with too many bills and not enough income—the story of how you got into debt may be more complex, with one or more difficult life events (such as illness, an accident, divorce, or more) affecting your finances adversely. Once payments such as those to credit card companies go delinquent for a couple of months, you can count on calls from the creditor—and after an extended period they may file a collections lawsuit against you or sell the debt to a collections agency.
Debt Collectors Cannot Talk to Others About Your Debt
If a debt collector has entered the picture, they may be extremely aggressive. This is usually because they get paid commissions on the accounts they manage to collect. They may even be motivated to begin calling others who know you. While this can be a humiliating experience, keep in mind that many others around the US are in debt and going through similar experiences. Also, these days, debt collectors may make calls to others as they hope to get you to pay your debt, but by California law they can only call your family to ask your location or your boss to verify your employment along with other details that may be specific to the debt (such as health insurance if you owe medical debts). If a debt collector has violated these rules, you have options, from suing them in court to filing complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies.
Reach Out for Help If You Are in Serious Debt
If the debt collection process escalates to a collections lawsuit, contact an attorney from a firm like Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC as soon as possible to file a response. While it may be tempting to ignore such a stressful issue altogether, or to procrastinate, you usually have 20 to 30 days to respond. After that, the creditor or collections agency may be able to have a default judgment filed against you swiftly in court.
Speak with an attorney from Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC as soon as possible to examine your options. Our attorneys have decades of experience in serving clients as they navigate through challenging financial situations, to include student loan issues, bankruptcy, and other debt management processes. We are here to help! Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation, call us at (844) 431-3851, or email us at info@debtorprotectors.com.