Contact Us Today (813)-282-9330

Collection Defense and Debt Settlement

graphing laws

A process server just dropped papers at my door. Call our lawyers right away. You have been served with "court papers" and you have to respond within 20 days or have a money judgment entered against you.

A money judgment was entered against me. Not good. Once the debt collector has a money judgment then the real harassment begins. Debt collectors use money judgments to find your money and property. They make life difficult and will make you turn over your financial and personal information. If you don't then you might be held in contempt of court. Let us help you avoid this. 

Can they garnish my wages? Bank accounts? Yes. When they get their money judgment they will try to garnish your paychecks and you bank account. Even worse, you won't know until the money is gone. 

I am already being garnished, can I stop it? Yes. There are a number of ways to stop a garnishment, but we will need to act fast. Whether you are entitled to exemptions, the head of household exception, or if bankruptcy is right for you we need to figure that out quickly. Lets sit down and find the best option for you.

Can my federal benefits be garnished?

The following federal benefits are exempt from garnishment:

  • Social Security Benefits
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
  • Veterans' Benefits
  • Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
  • Military Annuities and Survivors' Benefits
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance

Be careful, those benefits can be frozen or garnished if they are held in a bank account. Debt collectors will try to garnish and force you to go to court to unfreeze your money.

Also, federal benefits can be garnished to pay student loans, delinquent taxes, alimony, or child support. 

How long is a judgment good for in Florida?

Forever. Money judgments are good for 20 years and can be renewed indefinitely. Judgments can be placed as liens against your property for up to 14 years.

Can I settle this debt?

Yes. But the longer the case drags on in court the more money the debt collector will want. Also, once the case is in court, the debt collector will want you to pay their attorney fees as part of the settlement.

When is the best time to settle the debt?

Before the lawsuit. If you want to settle your debts with case payments then you should try and do this prior to any collection lawsuits being filed. Our lawyers will help you work out your debts and build a strategy to settle one debt at a time..

I am receiving letters and phone calls from debt collectors, I just want it to stop.

Call us immediately. Our firm sues debt collectors for harassment and these letters and phone calls may violate state and federal law. If this debt collection harassment violates the law then we will represent you on a contingency fee basis and could put money back into your pocket.

CONTACT US

If you're facing a debt collections lawsuit and want to discuss your best options please complete our free case review form.

Florida Consumer Lawyers will review your claim and discuss the matter with you for free.

FREE CASE REVIEW FORM

FLORIDA CONSUMER LAWYERS

Our law firm only represents consumers and we have built our entire practice around that fact.

Menu