Voytas Law, LLC is a law firm with a litigation practice in St. Louis, Missouri. Each individual suit presents different legal questions and challenges. This post is not intended as legal advice for your specific situation. Please call us if you have questions and we will be happy to talk with you.
If you get a summons and a copy of a Missouri lawsuit, the first and most important thing that you need to do is to calendar the court date on the front of the summons. If you miss the initial court date, the court may enter a “default judgment” against you. In Missouri, a creditor can use a default judgment to begin garnishing your wages or levying your bank account in very short order.
Ideally, you should be able to hire a lawyer before the initial court date. If you cannot, you should consider being in the courtroom at the initial court date and asking the judge for thirty days to hire a lawyer. In our experience, courts are likely to grant such a request.
You should hire a lawyer even if you owe the debt. There are a wide variety of defenses to a collection lawsuit that will be very difficult for you to implement without a lawyer. While these defenses may not ultimately lead to victory, they will very likely cause your creditor to take a reasonable position when it comes to settling the debt.
If you choose to represent yourself, the creditor will often attempt to get you to sign a “consent judgment.” Often, you will be told that this is a “payment plan.” It is not. It is a judgment. As soon as you are late on one payment, the creditor can use the consent judgment to garnish wages and levy bank accounts for example. Hiring a lawyer will likely prevent the creditor from taking advantage of you in this fashion.
If you are facing a debt collection suit, take it seriously and get the right help. Most lawyers, including Voytas Law, LLC, will provide an initial consultation at little or no charge.
Rick Voytas of Voytas Law, LLC is a trial lawyer who combines objective advice with the tactical know-how to obtain the compensation you deserve. He has more than nineteen years of courtroom and litigation experience, handling a variety of difficult cases.
As a native of St. Louis and licensed in Missouri, Illinois, and various federal courts, Rick Voytas provides knowledge and personal attention to your legal matter.
Don’t delay! Contact Voytas Law, LLC now for your debt collection legal problems in Missouri at 314-380-3166 or learn more at www.voytaslaw.com.
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