If you have a debt collector that you haven't heard of sending you letters about garnishing your wages, and you aren't sure if the debt is legitimate or if they can take your money, you want to meet with a lawyer right away. You want to find out what can be done to help protect your wages, if you really owe the debt, and what action you can take. Talk with a lawyer about the following things to get the matter handled in a fast an efficient way.
Research and Verify the Debt
Your lawyer will call to verify that the debt is from a bill that you did not pay, or that you don't know about it. The lawyer will find out all of the fine details about the debt, and if the company is really taking action to have your wages guaranteed, or if they are just threatening you with these warnings. This quickly eliminates a false debt, and the lawyer lets the company know to stop threatening you, or you move forward with finding a way to pay it.
Settle or Make a Payment Plan
There are few options to deal with the debt. You can try to settle the debt for less than its worth if you want to save money, or you can set up a payment plan with the company. Your lawyer will work out the best deal that is the most accommodating to your budget at the current time.
Avoid Garnishment
Once you have settled or created a plan, your lawyer will send over documentation to state that they will not take any further action to garnish your wages. You want this in writing, so they don't pursue without your permission, and so your employer doesn't see it.
Have it Removed from Your Credit
If the debt was a false claim, you want to make sure that it is removed from your credit so that the damage can be undone. Your lawyer will send letters to the credit bureaus. If you are paying it on a plan or settled it, your lawyer will also contact the credit companies to let them know it has been handled, to help increase your score.
You don't want to waste any time talking to a lawyer if a debt collector has told you that they are going to garnish your wages. Get to the bottom of the problem and take action to protect your financial reputation. For more information, contact a law office like Stuart J Sinsheimer Attorney at Law.
