Shouldn’t I just call the law office who is suing me?

Remember, the law office that has filed suit on behalf of their client against you is looking out for their client’s best interest, not yours.

Why should I hire a lawyer if I can work something out with them myself?

Sometimes the opposing party’s lawyer will negotiate a settlement on behalf of their client and “settle” the debt knocking off a percentage of what you may owe.   Sounds good, right? Here are some of the possible pitfalls:

• You may have legal defenses and valid counterclaims against the debt collector.
• The amount they may be suing your for could include amounts not legally collectible.
• Their lawsuit could be outside of the Statute of Limitations, which is the amount of time determined by law that they have to file a lawsuit against you for that debt.
• They may not have the documentation to prove you actually owe the debt.
• They may record your telephone conversations and use any statements made by you against you.
• They may have you sign a “consent judgment”.