Top 3 Questions to Ask a Debt Settlement Attorney

LA JOLLA, Calif., Sept. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- There are options available to you when dealing with credit card debt. Hiring an attorney to negotiate with your creditor for a lower total debt owed is a viable option. If you make the decision to hire a debt settlement attorney, you need to be sure to ask these 3 questions:

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1. Do you guarantee your results? If anyone guarantees you anything, run away fast. Nobody can predict the future; much less guarantee a specific result. Be cautious of anyone who promises that if a debt doesn't settle for a specific amount, then that a portion of your fee will be refunded to you. That's an inherent conflict for the attorney. Suppose a debt will settle for a higher amount, but the attorney has guaranteed a lower settlement. The attorney may not want to settle for the higher amount and potentially have to give back a portion of the attorney's fees already paid. But it may be that the client would be willing to settle for the higher amount. Are you willing to risk that your attorney might not accept an offer because they will owe you a refund on the fees due to a guarantee?  We would all like guarantees in life, but that's not practical. Nor is it ethical for an attorney to offer a guarantee.
2. Who do I call if I want an update on the debt settlement process? If you're with a firm that hires front office attorneys to do intakes, then that attorney has nothing further to do with your file once you retain the firm. The firm you actually hired is likely out-of-state with back office support. So if you have a question for your attorney, they likely won't know what's going on with your matter since they aren't dealing with your case on a daily basis. Make sure you hire an attorney who will be handling your case from start to finish. 
3. What happens if I get sued? Non-payment of your debt could potentially lead to a lawsuit being filed against you. A few of the more suit-happy creditors I have seen include National Collegiate Student Loan Trust, Discover Bank, Citi Bank, American Express, and Capitol One. So who will represent you if you've been sued? That family law attorney you met with that signed you up and pushed your matter off to an out-of-state law firm? Even if that attorney will represent you, do you want to trust your matter to an attorney that doesn't have a working knowledge of creditor lawsuits? You don't want to be the guinea pig for them.

Daniel R. Gamez, an attorney focusing exclusively in debt settlement, is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in California and Texas. Mr. Gamez owns and operates the Gamez Law Firm in La Jolla, CA. For more information, please contact Daniel Gamez at 858-217-5051 email or visit gamezlawfirm.com.

SOURCE Gamez Law Firm