Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I think I have been treated unfairly?
- Keep records of who has called you and when.
- Save any letters, voicemail or answering machine messages left by the collectors. Throwing away the letters and erasing the messages will not make the unfair harassment stop.
Contact us today for a free evaluation of your rights.
What will it cost me to use your services?
Nothing. The answer is simple, you pay nothing. The State and Federal laws we use to protect your rights provide that those who violate the law must pay our fees. If we negotiate a settlement on your behalf or win at trial, we will collect our fees and the costs of the action from the collectors or companies that have treated you unfairly. If we are not successful, you owe us nothing. Contact us today for more details, but the answer will remain the same, you are not obligated to pay any legal fees or costs regardless of the outcome.
How much money could I recover from the collectors that have treated me unfairly?
While every case is different, the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) permits an individual to recover damages resulting from the prohibited conduct of the collector. Common types of damages which have been recovered in these types of actions are for stress related injuries (such as anxiety, depression, headaches, irritability, embarrassment, humiliation, crying, loss of appetite, loss of weight, loss of sleep, insomnia, nightmares, severe stress, hypertension, loss of concentration, etc.) which are the result of the collector's conduct, all out of pocket expenses (such as reduced credit rating , loss of job, loss of income, loss of promotion at work, medical or counseling expenses, phone toll charges, payments made on a debt you did not owe, transportation expenses, bank charges or any other related expenses), and injuries to personal relation (such as injury to reputation, loss of privacy, strain to marriage, strain to family and humiliation. In addition to all actual damages, the FDCPA permits an award of statutory damages of up to $1,000.00 for an individual who is treated unfairly and up to the lesser of $500,000.00 or one percent of the collectors net worth in a class action suit. Depending on the nature of the violation of your rights and depending on the State where you live, punitive damages and a variety of different remedies may be available. Contact us today for more information.
What is the next step?
After you contact us either by filling out the contact form on the web page or by calling us toll free, one of our attorneys will contact you to set up a time to discuss your free case evaluation in person, via video conference or over the phone depending on what is convenient for you. We maintain flexible office hours and will work with you to accommodate your schedule.
Once we have gone over your situation and your rights in detail, we will fully explain your options and the next steps with the representation in these types of claims. Contact us today for more information. Unfortunately we can’t provide further details here as the same companies who treat consumers unfairly read this site in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage. Don’t let this happen, contact us today!
How can you represent me if you do not have an office near where I live?
Easy, we all are multi-state licensed and more than likely represent other clients and appear in court on their behalf on a regular basis in your area. Further, we use the latest technology to communicate with our clients. We have found that in most circumstances, contact with our clients via video conference, phone and email permits the same exchange of ideas and relationship as a face to face meeting. Additionally, each of our experienced attorneys is licensed in multiple jurisdictions. Rather than confining our practice to a small geographic area and practicing in many different areas of the law, we concentrate on using our expertise in fewer areas of the law but practice in a larger geographic area. Currently the States our team of lawyers are licensed and practicing throughout are New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. These States are concentrated near our headquarters in Albany and Atlanta permitting easy travel to your local courthouse. As this list is regularly expanding, even if you do not see your State on the list, give us a call to see if we can help you.