"Collections" is the process by which creditors try to get nonpaying debtors to pay the money they owe. There are a huge number of laws in Ewa Beach, Hawaii governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.

What if I Am Owed Money in Ewa Beach, Hawaii?

If someone owes you money and won't pay, you have several legal options to seek repayment of your debt. However, you need to be careful in this area. There are many rules and regulations detailing what debt collectors can and cannot do. Violating these laws, even inadvertently, can harm your chances at collecting, and maybe even expose you to civil penalties.

As an example, when attempting to collect, creditors may not use abusive language, contact third parties regarding the debt, or use violence or threats of violence.

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 Ewa Beach, Hawaii. You should make sure that any agency you hire is reputable, and has not been cited for violations of the rules governing collections.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Ewa Beach, Hawaii?

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 amicably, you should do the same. Even if the caller doesn't behave in an amicable manner, you should resist the urge 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.

Your best option in Ewa Beach, Hawaii might be to contact the creditor directly, and try to work out some type of new repayment plan. The earlier you do this, the more receptive to your ideas the creditor is likely to be. If this isn't successful, you can demand that the collectors stop contacting you by phone, and they will usually be obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, and you should only take this route if you are ready to defend against a lawsuit from your creditors, since demanding that they stop contacting you generally leaves them with no other option but to sue.

If you have hired a lawyer in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, they might advise that you apply for bankruptcy. Of course, whether or not this is a good idea depends strongly on the facts of your particular case, so you should not do so unless an attorney has reviewed the facts and determined that bankruptcy is a viable solution.

How Can a Ewa Beach, Hawaii Collections Attorney Help?

If you believe that a creditor is violating the law in its effort to collect from you, you should get in touch with an Ewa Beach, Hawaii attorney, since you may actually have a claim for damages against the creditor.

Also, if you're considering applying for bankruptcy, a seasoned attorney in Hawaii can tell you if this is a good option, and, if it is, help you through the process.