Most of us have some debt in our lives. Whether it’s credit card debt, student loan debt, or medical bills, we all have these bills to worry about.
But some people can’t pay off their debts and are forced to hire a lawyer to deal with debt. If you’re among those individuals stuck with a mountain of debt you can’t pay—or if you know that you could use a lawyer’s help to deal with debt—then keep reading.
5 Signs: You Need a Lawyer to Deal With Debt
1. You’re Facing Foreclosure
If you’ve been receiving notices from the bank or a court has ruled in their favor, you can expect to receive a notice of default soon. Your creditor has taken over all your accounts and is now collecting any money owed.
The first step in dealing with this situation is contacting a lawyer immediately. If you don’t, they may begin foreclosure action on your home or property, which could force you into bankruptcy.
You need to speak with an attorney about protecting yourself from debt collectors trying to collect money.
2. Bill Collectors Are Hounding You
There are several reasons why you might find yourself swarmed by debt collectors.
- Your credit card company couldn’t get ahold of you because your phone was off or disconnected, and now they’re hounding you with calls, emails, and texts demanding payment;
- The IRS has come after you for taxes that were never asked for,
- Or maybe it’s just a serial harasser who keeps calling and harassing you repeatedly.
Whatever the reason, if someone is trying to collect from you when you don’t owe anything or don’t have any control over what happened to cause the debt—or have ever even made any payments on it—reach out to Debt Relief Attorneys Houston. They will help you handle the problem professionally and ensure everything falls into place.
3. You’ve Been Sued
Whether you need to deal with debt or not, a few things can happen to you that make you want to get a lawyer.
The first sign is when your creditor sues you. It means they have decided to take legal action against you for the debt. They will send a summons and complaint asking for payment or a trial date.
If this happens, it’s time to get a lawyer. A lawyer can help you know your rights and how best to proceed in court if necessary.
If you’re facing court-approved collection actions, the debt collector is likely trying to force payment from you before anything else happens—so having an attorney on board will make things easier for both sides of the equation.
4. Your Employer Has Been Served With a Wage Garnishment Summons and a Complaint
You should contact a lawyer immediately if your employer has been served with a wage garnishment summons and complaint.
A wage garnishment summons is an order from the court that states that your employer must withhold part of your paycheck and send it to the creditor. The creditor will then use this money to pay off your debt.
If you ignore the summons, your employer may stop paying you altogether. If this happens, you’ll have no way of paying off your debt—and no job either.
You can contact a lawyer for help to deal with debt like situation. The lawyer will be able to help ensure that all of your rights are protected during this process.
5. Your Debt Is Overwhelming
Your debt is overwhelming. You’re at the end of your rope. You’ve tried everything you can think of, and it still isn’t working.
You’ve been told by everyone from your family to the people at the bank that you have to pay off your debt before it becomes too difficult to manage, but none of them have any solutions for you. They want you to pay whatever it takes.
You may even be considering filing for bankruptcy. But if that’s what you’re thinking about doing, you should think again because it could lead to many other problems.
Instead of worrying about how much money is left on your credit card or how much interest will accrue when another bill comes due in a few weeks and everyone will go against you, why not focus on finding someone to help reduce or eliminate those debts?
It is not easy to deal with debt when there are legal issues involved—but if someone knows how to help, they’ll be able to do just that for you.
Final Thoughts
You need to figure out if it’s time to consider debt defense. Keep your eyes open for the signs listed above.
If you notice any of them in your day-to-day life, now is the time to meet with a lawyer and discuss your options to deal with debt. The best thing you can do is be proactive about your situation.
Don’t wait until after your wages are garnished, they have frozen your bank accounts, or they’ve filed a suit against you in court. Take action to deal with debt before it grows beyond your control. After all, there is no shame in doing what’s necessary to get back on track financially.
