Hiring an attorney to collect a debt - The Process
Money is always tricky and can often lead to uncomfortable issues between individuals and businesses. However, when it starts to make an impact on your bottom line, it is time to hire an expert to help you become whole.
When you are owed money, whether personally or in your business, it can be hard to know what to do. You have probably already tried sending a second invoice, texting a reminder, or calling the person to make your case. But what if they refuse to pay the money owed to you? Or what if they just don’t respond to your communications? Are you out of luck? Should you just take the loss and move on?
You don’t have to! In fact, there are more than a few ways to get your money collected from the individual or business that owes you. However, these methods take valuable time that you don’t want to spend away from your day-to-day work. That’s where an experienced collection law firm comes in.
What Does a Collection Attorney Do to Collect Your Money?
When you turn over a collection matter to an attorney, you are asking an experienced legal representative to take on the responsibility of communicating with the debtor and collecting the monies owed to you, using the legal system as a tool. Not every collection matter ends in a lawsuit in court. In fact, many collection matters can be resolved when the attorney reaches out to the debtor and negotiates a mutually agreeable settlement.
There are many benefits to working with an attorney, rather than trying to pursue your outstanding invoices yourself:
You save time. As soon as you turn over a collection matter to an attorney, you don’t need to think about it anymore. Let your attorney handle all communications with the debtor, as well as the collection of the debt and management of any payment agreements.
You will recover more money. Whether you run a business or are owed money personally, losses can really add up. Don’t just let them go. Let an attorney pursue them to the fullest extent of the law. With the legal system to back us up, we are able to collect more debts and negotiate higher settlements than if you go after your money yourself or with a collection agency.
You develop a system. Let’s face it. If an unpaid invoice has happened once, it could happen again. As you start working with an attorney, you will learn how truly easy it is to turn a collection matter over to them. You will also develop a clear, simple process for outsourcing the accounts receivable part of your business to an experienced, effective local law firm. In the future, you don’t have to wait months and waste time trying to track down outstanding debts -- just turn them over to your attorney and let us do the work!
What Do You Need to Do to Turn Over a Collection Matter?
At Wakefield Law, we are a small business and busy individuals, too. We know that the idea of having to add one more thing to the “To Do” list can sometimes be daunting. That’s why we have done everything in our power to make the collections process simple, streamlined, and effective for our clients. To get your accounts receivable or outstanding debts off your plate, pass them off to Wakefield Law for collection. Here’s what we need from you to get started:
The Contract. If there is one! Remember, there doesn’t need to be a written contract for an agreement to be enforceable.
A Statement of Account. This is a list that shows the total value of the debt, the charges for any services provided or goods sold, and credits for any payments toward that debt you have already received. If you are not quite sure how to put together a Statement of Account, we can help! Don’t get tripped up on the paperwork.
That’s it! You can send this information to Wakefield Law in whatever way is most convenient to you. You can scan and email documents, mail the originals, take photos on your phone and text, or even drop by with a box of paperwork. We are here to work for you!
How Can You Afford to Hire an Attorney, When You are Already Facing a Loss?
Here is the best part of working with Wakefield Law to collect your outstanding debts: we typically don’t charge hourly for our work. In fact, we ask very little from our clients out of pocket. When you first engage Wakefield Law, we do ask for a small cost fund that we can use to cover expenses like mailing, court costs, and filing fees. However, beyond that initial cost fund, we don’t want you to incur further losses just to try to collect your invoices! Instead, we earn a portion of any money we are able to collect from debtors. If we aren’t able to recover any money for you, we don’t get paid!
The Experienced Attorneys at Wakefield Law Do Things Differently
At Wakefield Law, we have been managing collection matters for local Northern Virginia businesses for over thirty years. That means we have the experience and the knowledge necessary to collect debts efficiently, effectively, and without disrespecting or alienating your former customers. We keep your business’ reputation in mind while also vigorously representing your interests.
If you have an outstanding debt that you would like to discuss, let’s talk! Give Wakefield Law a call for a free consultation at (703) 771-9740.