How To Find the Right Lawyer for Creditor Harassment
Dealing with creditor harassment can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. Fortunately, with the right lawyer by your side, you can fight back against harassment and protect yourself from any further debt collection issues.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to find the best lawyer for your specific needs. A large portion of the creditor contact you’re experiencing is likely not illegal, so working with a knowledgeable bankruptcy attorney may be your best bet if you want to stop those annoying phone calls and get your finances back on track.
What is Creditor Harassment?
The term ‘creditor harassment’ is typically used to refer to the practice of debt collectors making repeated attempts to contact a borrower in an effort to collect unpaid or overdue debts. These communications may come through phone calls, emails, letters, or even visits to the debtor's home or place of work, and can cause extreme stress and emotional turmoil.
The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices ActFair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits the use of abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection tactics, as well as false, deceptive, or misleading practices by a collector or credit institution.
Some examples of illegal creditor harassment under this law include:
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Making repetitive phone calls that are intended to annoy, abuse, or harass
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Refusing to identify themselves on phone calls
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The use of vulgar language or profanities
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Making threats of violence, illegal actions, or other types of harm
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Making false threats of arrest or other things the collector does not intend to do
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Publicly sharing the names of people whose accounts are delinquent
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Misrepresenting how much money is owed
However, it is important to note that the FDCPA only applies to third-party collectors, and not the original creditor who is owed the debt. This means that the collection practices your creditors engage in are often legal, no matter how harrassing they might be
What Can You Expect from a Creditor Harassment Lawyer?
If you are dealing with illegal creditor conduct, a skilled lawyer can help you take them to court and sue them for harassment. The FDCPA allows borrowers to sue creditors who violate the law and engage in illegal collection practices for attorney’s fees and money damages. You may also be able to bring additional legal claims under applicable state laws.
How To Find the Right Lawyer
Finding the right lawyer may present a challenge when there are so many to choose from, particularly if you do not personally know any attorneys or have never hired one before.
One way to narrow down the selection is by asking for referrals from trusted sources, such as family members or friends who previously hired a lawyer they were pleased with. It can also be beneficial to look at how experienced lawyers are in their field, especially in relevant matters as your circumstances may require specialized knowledge. Lastly, reading reviews and ratings of lawyers can offer an unbiased summary of customer experiences and help identify any potential red flags that could arise.
Mistakes To Avoid While Searching For A Lawyer
One of the biggest mistakes someone can make when searching for the right attorney is to choose someone who doesn’t have the appropriate knowledge and experience to fully meet your needs. While a creditor harassment lawyer can help you sue debt collectors that violate the law, this will do nothing to stop legal collection efforts by your original creditors or address the underlying financial problems that caused you to fall behind in the first place.
Filing for bankruptcy is a surefire way to stop creditor phone calls and other irritating collection methods that would otherwise be legal. As soon as you submit your petition, the bankruptcy court will issue an “automatic stay” that prohibits creditors from trying to collect on your debt or even contacting you. And after you eliminate or restructure your debts through the bankruptcy process, your creditors will have no reason to continue to harass you.
Before you start searching for a creditor harassment lawyer, schedule a free consultation with an experienced DebtStoppers attorney to discuss the more comprehensive and effective solutions available to you through bankruptcy.
