"Collections" is the process by which creditors attempt to get nonpaying debtors to pay the money they owe. There are a large number of laws in Clarke County, Georgia governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.

What if I Am Owed Money in Clarke County, Georgia?

If you are owed money and the debtor won't pay, for whatever reason, you are entitled to seek collection by any lawful means. Of course, the means of collection that are considered "lawful" are quite limited. You should be aware of the laws that govern collections before you proceed, as breaking them can hurt your chances of collecting, and even expose you to liability.

The law prohibits creditors from engaging in any form of violence against the debtor in an attempt to collect. It also bars them from using abusive language or contacting third parties about the debt owed by the debtor.

What you can do, however, is send an invoice of the debt to the debtor, along with a firm (but civil) demand for timely payment. If the debt is significant, you might also want to hire a collection agency in Clarke County, Georgia. You should make sure that any agency you hire is reputable, and has not been cited for violations of the laws governing collections.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Clarke County, Georgia?

If you actually owe the money being sought, and you are able to pay it, you should of course do so. If the collection caller is behaving civilly, you should do the same. Even if the caller doesn't behave in a civil manner, you should resist the temptation to respond in kind, and ask to speak with a supervisor, or simply end the conversation. Whatever you do, you should never ignore the issue. This will not make the problem go away.

However, you do have some options in Clarke County, Georgia. First of all, you should make an effort to get in direct contact with the creditor, as opposed to the collection agency, and try to work something out. If this fails, you can tell the collections agency to stop calling you, and they usually are obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't eliminate the debt, but it can buy you some time. You should know, however, that when you show that you are not interested in dealing with the creditors or collectors directly, they will usually resort to a lawsuit.

If you have hired a Clarke County, Georgia attorney to help you through this process, he or she might advise that you declare bankruptcy. Once this occurs, creditors are legally barred from attempting to collect against the debtor. Of course, this is a major decision, and should not be made lightly.

How Can a Clarke County, Georgia Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call a Clarke County, Georgia attorney, since such conduct on the part of the creditor might actually give you a claim for damages against it.

If you are thinking about bankruptcy, a good Georgia bankrutpcy attorney can help guide you through the process.