It's a stressful and difficult time when you have a lot of credit card debt and you can't pay it off due to circumstances beyond your control. You may have tried in good faith to negotiate with the credit card company, but if they have passed the debt on to a debt collector, you now have to deal with them.
It may be possible to negotiate a better settlement than what you owe, but sometimes the debt collector will sue you for their payment.
This is when you need to hire a credit card debt lawyer to help you gain the relief you need. Here are reasons why you should hire a credit card debt lawyer today.
A Collector Can't Sue You for the Debt
It's possible that a debt collector can't legally sue you for the debt you owe. There is a statute of limitations on credit card debt, which means if the required time has elapsed, a debt collector can't legally sue you for the credit card debt owed. This statute of limitations varies by state with some states having longer periods than others. It's best to check with your credit card debt lawyer or do your own research online to see what the statute of limitations is in your state.
If the debt collector tries to sue you even if the statute of limitations has passed, your lawyer can help you prove that they don't have a case they can win. Your lawyer can help you get the required evidence you will need to prove that your debt is beyond the statute of limitations.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
There have been some cases in which people have been sued for credit card debt that isn't even theirs. This could happen when your name is very similar to the actual debtor, or when you have the same name. This can be a problem for your own credit rating and it's a nuisance to take care of.
Your credit card debt lawyer can help you prove you are not the person who actually owes the debt. They can do this by helping you to get the debt collector to provide proof of why they believe you are the person who owes the debt.
This proof could be the original documentation for the credit card with a signature on it, a Social Security number that should match your own, or other personal and identifying information that was provided when the credit card was issued.
If this information doesn't match your own you can prove the debt isn't yours.
