What is a collections law firm?

Updated October 26th 2023

What is a collections law firm?

A collections law firm is a group of attorneys that represent clients who are involved in debt collection. They provide assistance to clients with a variety of collection issues, including lawsuits for unpaid debts, bankruptcy filings and judgments. They may also provide legal advice about how to avoid having a debt go into collections in the first place to preemptively avoid delinquency issues.

How Do Collections Law Firms Work?

A collections law firm is a business that specializes in collecting debts on behalf of clients. They can help you recover the money you are owed, whether it's from individuals or businesses.

Collections law firms have the ability to collect debts that other collection agencies have considered uncollectable, potentially resulting in a higher amount of money recovered compared to working with a single agency or none at all.

A collections firm helps recover owed money and can enforce contracts through legal action if there is a breach. If a court judgment is obtained against a business or individual, the collection agency can use it to ensure payment.

Debt buyers

The term "debt buyers" refers to commercial collection law firms that purchase unpaid debts from other companies at a discounted rate. The firm will then attempt to collect on these debts, often through telephone calls and letters. Debt buyers can be very aggressive in their collection practices, sometimes even threatening criminal prosecution or suing you if they don't get paid. 

Benefits of using a law firm's debt collection service

If you're a business owner, it can be difficult to stay on top of all the different bills that come in each month and make sure they are paid on time. Collections law firms can help your business collect on past-due accounts by chasing down any customers who haven't paid their bills. For example, if someone has an outstanding invoice with your company but has not yet paid it, collections lawyers will contact them personally on behalf of your organization until payment is made or an extension granted (if applicable).

It's also important for individuals with outstanding debts to hire collections lawyers because doing so helps protect their credit ratings from potential damage caused by late payments or nonpayment altogether. A bad credit score can affect everything from getting approved for loans or mortgages down through renting apartments; therefore having someone else handle these types of issues makes sense financially as well as emotionally since it can be particularly stressful for many people when dealing directly with lenders or debt collectors. 

What is the difference between commercial and consumer collection law firms?

Commercial collection law firms are typically larger and more experienced, with a greater number of attorneys and staff members. They often have a better idea of how to collect from large companies, who may have multiple assets that can be seized in order to pay the debt owed.

Consumer collection law firms tend to focus on collecting debts from individuals rather than businesses or corporations. They also tend not to have as many resources available at their disposal, so they do not always have access to the same tools as commercial firms do when it comes time for court proceedings or other legal actions necessary for collecting debts.

A team of professional employees at a commercial collection law firm collaborating in a modern office environment.

FAQ

What are the benefits of choosing a collection law firm instead of a debt collection agency?

  • Collection agencies are often more expensive. Collection agencies have less experience and knowledge than attorneys in this area of the law because they don't need to be licensed as attorneys do in order to collect debts on behalf of their clients.
  • Collection agencies don't provide legal services; they only collect information about your debt and try to get it paid back without providing any legal advice or representation during the process (though some may offer limited amounts). On top of that, many people mistakenly believe that hiring an attorney means paying more money than if they were represented by an unlicensed collector — but this simply isn't true! In fact, most attorneys charge less than what you'd pay for a collection agency’s services. 

How does a collection attorney handle the debt collection?

The attorney will initiate legal proceedings against the debtor and attempt to communicate with them in order to seek a resolution. They will collaborate to find a solution, unless the debtor is incapable or unwilling to repay their debt. If necessary, the attorney may seek a judgment against the debtor, which could potentially result in further legal action in the future.

What are the chances that you’ll be able to collect money owed?

Collection law firms are often more effective in collecting money than collection agencies due to their experience with debt collection. They can assist in achieving a more favorable resolution with your debtor.

Conclusion

We hope this post has helped you understand what a collections law firm is and how they can help you with your outstanding debt issues. If you have questions or concerns about your situation, please don’t hesitate to contact Retrievables for a free consultation.

Updated October 26th 2023

Author: Brendan Gilbert

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