How To Respond To A Civil Summons For A Debt

A civil summons for a debt simply means your creditor has decided to take you to court for the debt that you owe. Your creditor can sue you directly or sell your debt to a debt collection agent. It is common for most consumers not to respond to debt summonses. If you do not respond, you will lose the case by default and the court gives judgment against you. It is in your best interest therefore to respond. The following steps will help you greatly, especially if you don’t want to waste money on attorney fees.

1. Write down the court date in your diary so you do not forget. Plan to have that day free. You might spend most of that day in court.

2. Write a 2 to 3 pages reply to the summons. This is to put the collection attorney on notice that you will be available to defend your case. Usually you have 20 days to reply but the earlier you do it the better. If you are not sure what to write, write whatever you can and then get an attorney to check it for you for a small fee. Other things might come up and you will forget.

3. Get as many documents as you can concern the debt. You have to know exactly where you stand. Some debts might no longer be valid. Documents to that purpose will prove your case. Get any canceled checks, bankruptcy papers that can add to your defense. Court cases are not decided by word of mouth. Collection attorneys sometimes have trouble accounting for the exact amount of money they owed and this can work in your favor

4. Check the state of your finances to determine if and how you can pay the debt or part of it. The collection attorney more often than not will ask you to agree to an out of court settlement.

5. Now, if your financial life is in a state of confusion, these tips might not work for you. You will be better off hiring an attorney that has experience in handling debt cases.

Check out the link below
Debt Information Center the internet’s No.1 center for free information on debt management and consolidation.

How To Successfully Gain Credit Card Debt Forgiveness

It is possible for you to gain credit card debt forgiveness in the present financial system. Debt forgiveness is a much more viable option to declaring bankruptcy. A lot of people with over $10000 in card debt have been able to get off up to 60% of their debts. If you are seeking debt relief, debt settlement and consolidation are the most popular options open to you. Read on to learn more on how you can get rid of credit card debt.

There is a proposed program in place in the financial industry that gives credit card companies the ability to write off debts for certain categories of customers. As the government grant the institutions relief, consumers should also benefit from debt forgiveness. You might qualify if you are enrolled with a debt management plan. Up to 40% of debts can be forgiven. Banks and the credit card companies don’t want pardon programs to be known to customers.

The credit card company can also wipe off what you owe if it falls under bad debt. Writing off bad credit card debt helps companies clear up their books. This makes them financially healthier. According the Nilson Report, financial institutions are expected to write off over 390 billion dollars over the next five years.

You can contact the company directly or through a debt settlement agent to negotiate a reduction in your debt. Negotiation can bring down your debt down by as much as 50% depending on your negotiation skills. When your debt is settled you are required by the IRS to report the write off amount as income on your tax forms.

Debt consolidation involves signing up with a company that negotiates your loans and consolidates them into one convenient monthly payment. It usually comes with less interest. Check the internet for a list of accredited DMPs.

These are the various options available for you to get rid of your credit card debt. However, when debt is written off your credit score could be reduced by as much as 60-130 points. This makes it a bit difficult for you to get credit at favorable interest in the next few years.

Check out the link below

Debt Information Center the internet’s No.1 center for free information on debt management and consolidation.