Legal Support Services for Debt Collection

Chloe Meltzer | December 02, 2022

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

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:Are you being sued for an old debt? Not sure what you're going to do about it? Learn how to find legal support services for debt collection.

When dealing with debt collectors you may feel like everything is against you and that you are at a disadvantage. So for anyone who is struggling with debt but does not have money to pay an attorney to represent them, it is important to know that legal support services for debt collection are available. Oftentimes these can be found at low, or no cost.

If you decided to put out more money for an attorney, you might find yourself in a worse situation, due to having less money to pay your bills than you did before. By learning your rights and resources that can help you, you will have a better chance of succeeding of getting yourself out of debt.

Stop shady debt collection tactics by filing a response with SoloSuit.

Know your rights under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a federal law that governs how third-party debt collectors may treat consumers. Debt collectors may be breaking the law if they participate in the following:

Tell anyone (friends, family, employer) about your debt other than your spouse
Refuse to identify themselves as a debt collector
Threaten to sue you or put you in jail if they legally cannot do this
Try to trick you into paying your debt
Threaten you in any way
Attempt to collect a debt that has already been paid
Threaten wage garnishment before receiving a judgment against you to do so
Use abusive language
Attempt to collect on a debt that is past the statute of limitations
Call you repeatedly at work after you have told them to stop.

How to report illegal activity from debt collectors

Federal agencies

It is essential that you are aware of resources that can help you report bad actors or find help. There are many places where you can report debt collectors that are harassing you. These include:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1-855-411-CFPB
Consumerfinance.gov
Federal Trade Commission
1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357)
consumer.ftc.gov

Legal Services Corporation

To find local programs that can help those who are in debt, visit the website of Legal Services Corporation.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) can help consumers with complaints against businesses. Here you can find information about the debt collector, as well as report bad behavior.

Speak to a consumer law attorney for free

If a debt collector is breaking the law then many times attorneys will help you for free. This is only done if they believe that they will definitely win the case. In the event you win a case against a debt collection agency that has violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, they will be required to pay your lawyer's fees and money damages. When lawyers work on a contingent fee basis, they will take a percentage of whatever you win, but will not charge you if you do not win.

If you are being sued for debt and you have absolutely no idea what direction to go in, then the best option is to get a free consultation. This will allow you to know the first steps and what your chance of success is.

It is also important to answer the debt collector. This is because the creditor or collection agency will be given an automatic judgment against you if you do not answer. This can lead to wage garnishment or taking money directly from your bank account.

Make the right defense the right way with SoloSuit.

Speak with a bankruptcy attorney

If you owe multiple debts and it is becoming overwhelming, you might consider bankruptcy. In this situation, you may want to speak with a bankruptcy lawyer. They can help you understand the laws of debt collection. Even if you do not pay them, they may be able to offer a free consultation and help you evaluate options should you choose to file.

If you file for bankruptcy, then debt collectors can no longer call you. They also cannot sue you, or take other means to collect debts (such as wage garnishment). You may even be able to eliminate some of your debts, and you will have protection in court should debt collectors not honor this. However, there are many downsides to debt collection and you must take this into account.

Avoid bankruptcy. Respond to creditors in 15 minutes with SoloSuit.

Get assistance from a legal aid office

Legal aid offices are also known as legal clinics. Usually, they are monitored by lawyers and law students to provide low-cost or free legal aid. You must be a qualified low-income person, with consumer law problems. These problems may include dealing with creditors and debt collectors or considering filing bankruptcy. In some situations, they may be able to help you file a lawsuit or they might even represent you in court pro bono.

Finding a legal aid office in your area is easy. Simply type the name of your state + legal aid into a search engine.

Contact government agencies for help

The government protects consumers against unfair debt collectors and debt collection in general. Your state attorney's general office exists for your service, along with consumer protection agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission. They take complaints from consumers.

Although they usually say away from specific disputes, if you have a serious complaint or violation of the FDCPA, this is who you should file with. Typically if they see multiple complaints about one company they may help to sue them on your behalf and stop them.

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

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>>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