Start My Answer

Can You Serve Someone with a Collections Lawsuit at Their Work?

Chloe Meltzer | December 07, 2023

Chloe-Meltzer
Legal Expert
Chloe Meltzer, MA

Chloe Meltzer is an experienced content writer specializing in legal content creation. She holds a degree in English Literature from Arizona State University, complemented by a Master’s in Marketing from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Being sued can put you in a stressful situation especially if you are served your papers while at work. Find out how to react when you find out about your lawsuit at your place of employment.

When you are served with a collections lawsuit, it can be ego damaging, let alone if there is someone around to see it happen. This is why there are strict laws in place to protect you as a consumer. Despite this, you can still be served with a collections lawsuit at work. But debt collectors cannot discuss the details of your suit.

You Can Be Served with a Collections Lawsuit at Work

Although embarrassing, you can be served with court papers for a collections lawsuit at work. Most often, they will attempt to serve you at your home first. But if the wrong address is present or you have been avoiding them, the next step is to go to your work.

Don't avoid debt collectors. Respond fast with SoloSuit.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Protects You

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), is a group of laws that protect you (as a consumer) from debt collection companies. Debt collections agencies are legally banned from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect debts from you. Other violations of the FDCPA include:

  • Continued attempts to collect a debt that is not owed
  • Illegal or unethical communication tactics
  • Failure to announce as a debt collector
  • Threatening violence or other illegal action on the debt
  • False statements or lying of any kind
  • Improper contact
  • Sharing information regarding the debt with anyone other than your spouse (or parent if under the age of 18)
  • Excessive phone calls

If a debt collector breaks any of the laws in this act, you may be able to counterclaim, or essentially sue them back.

Act Fast When You're Served with a Collections Lawsuit at Work

When you are served at work it can feel embarrassing. The bright side is that as long as the debt collector abides by the FDCPA, no one will know why they served you. The next step you should take is to prepare your response and work on your case.

Respond to the Debt Collector

Typically you will have anywhere from 20 to 30 days to file a written response. You may need to pay a filing fee, and if this is unmanageable, you can request a fee waiver. You must respond. If you do not respond, it may lead to a default judgment.

Use SoloSuit to respond to debt collectors in 15 minutes.

Avoid a Default Judgment

If you do not respond, or simply do not meet the filing deadline, the creditor will request to enter a default judgment. You want to avoid this because often the court will award the creditor the amount they requested. This essentially means you have lost your case. It is better to respond with hopes to settle instead.

Stop Sulking and Start Working on Your Response

The bottom line is that you can be served at work. Although this is not ideal, you will need to move past it and work on your response. You can also investigate other options such as a counterclaim if they violate the FDCPA, or challenging the statute of limitations. In the end, whatever you do, do not accept responsibility.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James


Get Started


>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Guides on how to resolve debt with every debt collector

Are you being sued by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Resolve your debt with your creditor

Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.

Settle your medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Guides on arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Stop calls from debt collectors

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Federal debt collection laws can protect you

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Get debt relief in your state

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt collection laws in all 50 states

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt state guides

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote a guide on each state’s statutes. Check it out below.

Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection by State (Best Guide)

Check the status of your court case

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.

How to stop wage garnishment in your state

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.

How to settle a debt in your state

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

How to settle with every debt collector

Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.

Other debt settlement resources

Personal loan and debt relief reviews

We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.

Civil law legal definitions

You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.

Get answers to these FAQs on debt collection

How-to debt guides

Learn more with these additional debt resources