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As someone who has acquired some debt, you may not have known it was going to get to this point. You probably had a plan for paying it back, but life just got in the way. Now you have a creditor coming at you, possibly with the help of a collection agency, and it’s beginning to really stress you out. Fortunately, you have some resources to turn to for help. A collection attorney is just one of those resources. The following are some things to consider when you’re deciding whether to hire an attorney or defend yourself.

How Much Money You Owe

If the creditor is only seeking the amount of money you owe for the debt, it may not be worth hiring a lawyer. In many of these cases, the creditor wins, and you’d then have to pay the judgment amount and your attorney fees. In some cases, you’d also have to pay the other party’s attorney as well. As you can see, this would end up being more expensive than just paying the debt in the first place.

If the creditor is suing you for an amount much larger than what you owe on the debt, it could be worth hiring a lawyer. Your lawyer may be able to negotiate the amount to a lower settlement so you don’t have to pay quite as much.

Your Defense

If you have a reason you shouldn’t have to pay the debt, or a reasonable defense for it, you’ll most likely want a lawyer to fight for you. Your lawyer can show the creditor can’t collect on the debt for a variety of reasons. These include:

• The original paperwork regarding your debt hasn’t been presented by the creditor.
• The statute of limitations is up.
• The wrong court is overseeing your case because the creditor made a mistake while filing.

There’s also a chance you’ll have a counterclaim. In some of these cases, the debtor actually ends up receiving a money judgment, so it’s worth having your lawyer take a look at the details of your case. For example, you might owe a creditor who has been harassing you for months. The toll of the harassment, and the degree at which they pressured you could be severe enough to warrant a judgment in your favor.

Contacting Your Collection Attorney

When you’re faced with a debt you cannot pay, it can be stressful. When a creditor starts coming at you, it can get even more so. The good news is you can hire a collection attorney or bankruptcy lawyer to help. Give a lawyer, like a Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer from Pioletti Pioletti & Nichols, a call today to learn more about your rights.