I’ve been sued! Now what? Dealing with collection lawsuits

The bad news is, if you fail to pay your bills, your creditors can sue you. They can sue you for what you owe them in addition to the fees involved in your lawsuit (court costs, attorney fees, etc). That’s right – they want you to pay them for suing you. This can be absolutely devastating, and it may be tempting to just hide but that will only make things worse.

Once you receive your Summons and Complaint, you have only 30 days to answer. If you try to hide from the lawsuit, i.e., pretend it’s not happening, your creditors will likely win by default, and move on to garnish your wages. They can even impound your bank account and put liens on your home. None of this is worth the brief relief you might experience by ignoring the lawsuit.

You need to act! If you file for bankruptcy, the lawsuit is essentially rendered moot. And don’t believe the myth that once you’ve been sued, it is too late to file for bankruptcy. Many people don’t file for bankruptcy until they’ve been sued.

Bankruptcy is not the answer for everyone in every situation. But if you are being sued for debt, you do need answers, and you do need to find them fast. Bankruptcy is one of your options.

Call a San Francisco bankruptcy attorney at (415) 963-4004.