Can I Close My Bank Account to Avoid Repaying a Payday Loan?

First, let’s be clear: Payday loans are illegal in the State of New Jersey. NJ state laws prohibit interest rates above 30% (which is exceptionally high already) and payday loan interest rates are much higher. Additionally, New Jersey banking laws prohibit the concept of advancing money based on a post-dated check.

What is a payday loan?

A payday loan is a very dangerous undertaking. It is process that is only entered into by those who find themselves in extremely dire financial straits.

The payday “lender” provides the borrower with a relatively small loan (usually less than $1,000). This cash loan is due to be paid back in full to the lender within a very short window of time – often when the borrower next receives a paycheck.

Those who are desperate for immediate money and don’t want to have their credit checked can often be fooled into thinking that a payday loan is the perfect solution to their problem. Borrowers who take out payday loans typically say that they don’t want to borrow money from friends or family, and their credit scores are usually already suffering, so taking out a proper bank loan isn’t on their radar.

Why do payday loans get such a bad rap?

In theory only, the concept of a payday loan is perfectly fine:

“You need rent money and your landlord is breathing down your neck about it. Due to unforeseen expenses this month, you’re short a few hundred dollars. If only you could simply borrow $400 to keep your landlord happy; you’ll have NO problem paying it back the next time you get paid.”

Sounds ok, right? The inherent problem with payday loans is this: if you are even a day late in repaying it, interest starts to accrue at an astronomical (up to 400%) rate. This, combined with the fact that by the time someone considers a payday loan, they are already having money trouble, leads the borrower down a path that can only end badly.

All payday loan borrowers talk themselves into believing that they’ll have the money to repay the loan on time. Most of them, however, arrive at their loan’s due date confounded and overwhelmed. Although they let themselves think their next paycheck would be enough to cover the cost of the loan plus their usual expenses, this is almost never the case.

Therefore, the average payday loan borrower ends up late in repaying their loan, either partially or in full. As soon as that interest starts building, their amount due climbs FAST. What started out as a $400 loan can end up as thousands of dollars in debt, leaving the borrower unable to even begin to make good on their promise to repay.

How can I get out from under a rapidly rising debt?

It can be an extremely scary feeling to know that your debt is rising higher and higher day by day at a rate that you can’t really even determine how much you owe. Drastic measures, like trying to close your bank account or moving away from the payday lender – will not solve your problem. Creditors can garnish your wages (up to a certain percent) until they get their money back, and unless you plan to leave the country and change your identity (not recommended) – they’ll go the distance needed to find you.

Although payday loans are illegal in New Jersey, that doesn’t mean that NJ borrowers aren’t taking out payday loans in neighboring states. If you’ve found yourself indebted to a payday lender, or if you are right now considering taking out a payday loan, you should consider filing for bankruptcy instead. Not only will this wipe out the money you owe to the payday lender, but many of your other debts can also discharged – giving you an opportunity to take stock of your money management with a clean(er) slate.

 

I Received a Bankruptcy Discharge – Why am I Being Sued?

Filing for bankruptcy can be a momentous decision for many people, and it usually isn’t a decision that is made lightly. Most people don’t want to have to file for bankruptcy and have genuinely tried in earnest to reduce their debts on their own.

Once you’ve decided to move forward with a bankruptcy filing, you’re likely to feel a certain sense of relief – especially as the case progresses and everything is going as planned. After your debts have been successfully discharged by your bankruptcy court judge, all of your dischargeable debts will be erased, lifting a heavy weight off your shoulders.

After a debtor receives a bankruptcy discharge, every creditor listed on their bankruptcy paperwork will receive notification of the bankruptcy. Creditors are no longer allowed to contact you to collect on debts that have been discharged. Just knowing that those aggressive phone calls are going to stop is a huge relief.

That being said, sometimes you may receive the unpleasant surprise of being sued by one of the creditors you thought you had seen the last of. This is a scary moment for anyone! Thinking that you’ve gotten out from under your debts only to discover that one of them is still after you for money is disheartening.

Can a creditor really sue me after my debts have been discharged?

Oftentimes, if a creditor is still trying to get you to repay a discharged debt, it means they didn’t receive proper notice of your bankruptcy. It’s also possible that your bankruptcy information was not shared through the right channels within the company – even if they did receive notice. Attempting to collect on a debt that has been discharged via bankruptcy is against the law.

Do I have to respond to a post-bankruptcy debt-related lawsuit?

This is where is gets kind of tricky. Even if you are no longer responsible for the debt in question, if a creditor has initiated a lawsuit against you, it cannot be ignored. Doing so will only prolong the lawsuit’s life.

Your bankruptcy attorney will be able to advise you on how to respond to any creditors who attempt to contact you after your discharge, including any that attempt to sue you for money you no longer owe. It is important to consult with your bankruptcy attorney to ensure that the debt(s) in question were actually discharged and you truly are no longer responsible for them.

An answer to any lawsuits should state the fact that you filed for bankruptcy, including a copy of your discharge and a list of all creditors. In doing so, virtually all lawsuits of this type will immediately dismissed by the court. Even if you inadvertently left a creditor off of your bankruptcy paperwork, generally all dischargeable debts will be forgiven as long as the creditor knows you’ve filed for bankruptcy.

Although you will almost never be responsible for any debt that was discharged, it is important to notify your lawyer if you are sued by one of your creditors after bankruptcy. Some debts are non-dischargeable, and you need to know what they are so that you continue making payments on them. However, chances are good that your NJ bankruptcy lawyer discussed any debts of this type with you prior to your filing date.

 

Can I Kick Out My Annoying Roommate?

Living with a roommate or roommates is a great way to bring down your monthly costs. This living arrangement is especially great for young people starting out on their own before settling down and starting a family. However, jumping into a lease agreement with someone is a serious undertaking, especially if you don’t know the person(s) very well.

If you sign a lease with a roommate, you will be considered co-tenants. It doesn’t matter if you moved in together or if your roommate was there before or after you – if you’re both on the lease, you’re both equally legally responsible for everything in the lease agreement.

What happens if you move in with someone only to discover that your personalities really clash? Perhaps your new live-in mate is horribly late with paying you their fair share of the utilities. Or maybe they’re a night owl and watch (loud) late-night tv shows while you’re trying to sleep.

Whatever differences may arise between you and your roommate, know this: it is exceptionally hard to kick a true co-tenant out. Even if your roommate simply stops paying their portion of the rent, your landlord is likely to demand the full amount anyway. Typically, landlords care very little about in-fighting amongst their tenants as long as the rent is paid in full each month.

Beware: if you stop paying your landlord the full rent payment (because your roommate has shorted you) – you can suffer the same consequences that will be doled out to the non-paying roommate. When one roommate breaks the lease agreement, it affects all of the co-tenants equally.

The only situation that calls for immediate eviction is if your roommate becomes violent toward you. Even the mere threat of violence can be cause for a restraining order. If you are granted a restraining order against your roommate, they’ll be forced to move out post haste.

In order to avoid such roommate conflicts, it’s a good idea to take a page from The Big Bang Theory and rustle up a ‘Roommate Agreement.’ While you most certainly don’t have to get as serious as Sheldon Cooper does (for example: he demands that his roommates stand a certain distance away from the bathroom mirror when brushing their teeth in order to keep the mirror clean) – things like noise limitations, quiet hours, cleaning the apartment, and rent payments can make your life a lot more enjoyable.

You can actually create a legally binding roommate agreement that would give you some power if a roommate stops paying their portion of the rent. You’d have to take them to small claims court, but it may be worth it if your living situation has become unbearable. While a small claims judge doesn’t have the power to evict your roommate, s/he can order full payment of the rent that you’re owed.

And, even if your roommate doesn’t comply with the Court Order, taking them to court may be just enough to make them want to move out on their own.

New Jersey Foreclosure: Frequently Asked Questions

In a New Jersey foreclosure sale, your home will be sold in an auction-type setting. The sale will be publicly announced and will be open for anyone to attend. Since New Jersey is a judicial foreclosure state, the local sheriff will typically lead the auction. If the sheriff cannot conduct your sale, another public official will do so.

Everyone who attends the foreclosure sale is able to place bids in order to buy your former home. As in all auctions, “to the highest bidder go the spoils.” The spoils in this case refers to your mortgaged home.

So: you stopped paying your mortgage payment. For a variety of reasons, people sometimes do this. Maybe you ran into temporary (or permanent) financial trouble because you: lost a job, got divorced, fell ill, made some poor money choices – the potential reasons are endless. Regardless of how you ended up in foreclosure, it’s probably not something you hoped would happen to you one day.

No one goes around saying, “I hope I get foreclosed on at least once in my lifetime!” Because foreclosure something you didn’t wish for – you probably don’t know what to expect. As a general rule, we don’t sit around thinking about things that we don’t plan to experience. Therefore, now that you have found yourself smack dab in the middle of a foreclosure, chances are that you have some questions.

We’ve covered a lot of foreclosure sub-topics here on our blog. Today’s foreclosure question we’d like to answer for you is:

“Who gets the money from the foreclosure sale?”

The normal course of a foreclosure auction is that the bidding remains rather low and the final, winning bid is often less than the house is actually worth. In fact, many times foreclosed homes are sold for less than the original mortgagor still owes the bank. There are, of course, exceptions.

Here is a breakdown of what will happen to the proceeds from your foreclosure sale, who receives payment, and in what order:

• The first person/entity to be paid from the foreclosure sale proceeds is the New Jersey lender who granted you the loan for the mortgage in the first place. The bank or mortgage company needs to recover as much money as possible because you didn’t repay them like you originally agreed. A small portion of the proceeds will also go toward settling the cost of having the foreclosure auction.
• If there is still money left after the sale is paid for and the lender has fully recovered the amount they are owed, any secondary lenders (2nd or 3rd mortgage granters) will receive the full amount you borrowed (perhaps for a home equity loan) or as much as possible.
• After the above parties have received payment in full is the only time you, as the mortagor, will be entitled to receive any money from your foreclosure sale. Keep in mind: you are not likely to receive much, if any, money from a foreclosure sale because foreclosed homes don’t typically sell for as much as they would in a traditional real estate transaction.

In fact, you may even owe money when all is said and done. If the winning foreclosure bidder pays less than you still owe on the property, your lender will suffer a loss. This discrepancy is known as a deficiency balance. As the mortgagor, you can legally be held accountable for this amount.

You can learn more about NJ foreclosure procedures, get the answers to common foreclosure FAQs, and find out how a foreclosure will affect your life on our NJ law blog. We can also help you save your home via foreclosure defense, if that is your ultimate goal.

How to Invest in Your Future When You’re Broke

If you find yourself “barely” living paycheck to paycheck, the worry of not having any money saved can eat away at you. The concept of planning for future events like sending your kid(s) to college, helping them get married, and enjoying your own retirement can feel impossible when you can hardly afford your current lifestyle.

Although it may seem completely unimaginable, you can make a plan for your future; in fact, strategic financial planning may be the one thing that also helps you live better now as well.

The main reason most people don’t have a real savings plan in place is because they simply feel they don’t have enough money to do so. The change that needs to happen isn’t in making more money (although that is obviously not a bad thing) but in getting a new mindset.

The first step in getting a new money mindset is to change your inner dialogue from “I’m broke! I can barely even pay my bills!” to “Let’s see if I can find ways to improve how I spend money.”

While you may feel that you are barely able to meet the financial demands of your life, most people find that they’re spending too much in at least one area that can be cut back. Take a good, hard look at where all of your money goes for at least one complete month. Write down each and every cent that’s spent, organized into three categories:

•  Necessary/survival: Housing (mortgage payment or rent), utility bills (electric, gas, water/sewer, trash removal), all forms of necessary insurance (homeowners/renters, car, health, life), food (for eat-at-home meals only), vehicle payment(s), vehicle maintenance, gas.

• Debt: College/student loans, credit cards, personal loans, and any other forms of debt.

• Luxury: These are things that, while dearly beloved by many of us, can be eradicated without causing you extreme hardship. Examples include: cable/satellite tv packages, streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO Now), high speed internet connection, Xbox Live membership, restaurant meals, magazine/newspaper subscriptions, cell phone(s) and their service plans, gym memberships, satellite radio, hair/nail services, frivolous (unnecessary) purchases like new electronics, expensive clothing/shoes, and other items that you simply don’t need.

Once you have a clear picture of exactly what you’re spending all of your money on, you will be able to create a plan to start saving money – it’s that simple!

Your mindset must remain steadfastly dedicated to saving money in order for this to work, however. See that list of luxury items? You are going to have to decide which of them you can either cut out entirely, or scale back. You will likely be surprised at how many companies will be happy to work with you to lower your monthly bill when you explain your situation. They’d rather keep your business at a lower profit than lose you altogether.

Instead of having your nails painted professionally, invest in the supplies needed to do your nails at home. Listen to the (free) radio in your car or pop in a CD rather than paying for satellite radio. Cut out your cable tv and keep your streaming services. Cancel your gym membership and get outside to exercise or start an indoor workout program – there are a multitude of free exercise videos on Youtube.

Even something as simple as not stopping before work to get a coffee and breakfast on-the-go can make a difference. If you spend $5 every day for a breakfast to-go, you can put that money directly into your savings account by eating breakfast at home. This habit can save you over $1,000 a year!

Another potential way to save money every month is to negotiate your interest rates with any lenders or credit card companies. You may also qualify for a loan modification (even for your mortgage loan) wherein the terms of your loan would be adjusted in order to make your monthly payments lower.

After you have found several good ways to save money each month – be sure to put the money saved into the right place! The best way to make sure this happens is to put a set amount into your savings account before you pay any bills or spend any money. That way you will train yourself to live on the money you have left after you’ve already invested in your future.

 

Will too Many Credit Cards Hurt my Credit Score?

While you may be worried that you have too many credit card accounts open, the truth is that there isn’t a magic number of credit cards that is “right” or “wrong”. With that being said, there are some important things to know about holding multiple credit card accounts at the same time.

The average credit cardholder has approximately 5 to 7 credit cards. This includes open and closed accounts. There is no cutoff number where we would tell you “You have too many credit cards,” because what we are more concerned about is your debt to credit ratio.

What Is a Debt to Credit Ratio?

Essentially, the debt to credit ratio means: how much of your total available credit (on all of your credit cards) have you used? In other words, if you have a total of $10,000 of credit available to you spread out over any number of cards and your current balances add up to $9000, you have a very high debt to credit ratio of 90%.

Why is this number important?

The reason why your debt to credit ratio number is significant is because it plays a big role in determining your credit score. Ideally, you want to keep your total credit card balances at 30% or less of the credit you have available to you.

You can have a really great debt to credit ratio with 10 credit cards (many people open cards in order to take advantage of different “points” systems), and you can also have a poor ratio with only one or two credit cards.

How Can I Improve My Debt to Credit Ratio?

While opening new credit cards would seem like the most logical strategy to increase your total amount of credit available, it is important that you don’t open multiple new accounts in quick succession.This will send up a red flag to credit reporting agencies because it may mean that you are borrowing money that you won’t be able to repay.

Try opening one or two new credit cards per year in order to gradually boost your total available credit. More importantly, make sure that you are paying your monthly minimums (or ideally, more) in a timely manner on a consistent basis. In fact, this is actually more important than your debt to credit ratio number. Your credit score is calculated by looking at a number of your financial habits, your income and your total debt. Approximately 65% of your credit score is based on how well you stay on top of paying your bills.

Additionally, your credit score will improve if you have a variety of types of credit. Credit diversity makes up about 10% of your credit score.

If you feel you have too many credit cards because the balances are way too high and you’re having trouble making payments, your problem lies in your debt to credit ratio rather than how many credit cards you have.

To reduce your total amount of credit card debt, you can choose one of many effective and proven methods. If you have already attempted to reduce your credit card debt and feel like you are drowning in debt you’ll never be able to repay – filing for New Jersey bankruptcy may be an option that you should consider.

Image: “Credit Cards” by Sean MacEntee – licensed under CC 2.0

5 Reasons a NJ Bankruptcy Discharge May be Denied

The desired ending to filing for bankruptcy in New Jersey, or in any state, is a discharge of most of your significant debts. To have your debts discharged means to have them “wiped out” or erased. All debts that are discharged via bankruptcy are no longer your responsibility.

A bankruptcy discharge gives struggling debtors a chance to start over with their finances by presenting them with a (completely or partially) clean slate. While it is usually not possible to eliminate all debts in a bankruptcy because some debts are nondischargeable, the discharge of some or many of your debts can be extremely helpful in getting back on the path toward financial stability.

If you have found yourself buried under a pile of debt that you cannot even imagine pulling yourself out of, filing for bankruptcy is probably the best option for you. Debtors who are struggling to even make minimum payments and sustain their lifestyle desperately need help turning things around.

By working with an experienced New Jersey bankruptcy attorney, you will have a much better chance of having your debts discharged at the end of your bankruptcy case. It is ill advised to attempt to file for bankruptcy without the help of a professional. NJ bankruptcy paperwork is copious, and it is easy to make an error in filing the proper documentation at the right time and to the proper institutions.

If the court denies your bankruptcy case in bad faith, your case will be dismissed. This means that you will not benefit from having any of your debts relieved. You are also prohibited from filing for another bankruptcy for at least 180 days. Because of this, it is crucial that you work closely with a bankruptcy attorney prior to filing and during your case. Your attorney will be able to advise you properly regarding situations and actions to avoid so that your case is not dismissed.

Working with an experienced New Jersey bankruptcy attorney will ensure that you avoid:

1. Failure to meet the New Jersey bankruptcy eligibility requirements
   You can read about the NJ bankruptcy requirements here.
2. Incorrectly submitting bankruptcy forms
   Although it may sound insignificant, failure on your part to properly complete any of the required forms within 14 days of your original filing date may lead the court to dismiss your case before it even gets started.
3. Omitting important bankruptcy documentation and/or information
   This leads the bankruptcy court to suspect that you are being dishonest. You must be completely transparent in order to receive a bankruptcy discharge. If you fail to tell your attorney about property or assets that you own, your case may be dismissed on the grounds that you filed for bankruptcy in bad faith.
4. Bankruptcy fraud
   This one almost goes without saying, but some people don’t realize exactly what bankruptcy fraud entails. There are many different ways to commit bankruptcy fraud, but in general, if you hide anything or lie on your bankruptcy petition (or in a hearing) – not only will your case be dismissed, but you will potentially face significant fines and even jail time.
5. Failure to take credit counseling course
   Before your bankruptcy discharge, you will be required to take an approved credit counseling class. This must occur within the 180 days immediately prior to filing for bankruptcy. Failure to take this course will result in your bankruptcy case dismissed.

Because it bankruptcy discharge can positively impact your life so significantly, don’t waste the potential life-changing experience by making disastrous mistakes. Be sure that your bankruptcy paperwork is in order, that your behavior is up to snuff with the bankruptcy court, and that nothing is omitted from your petition. The only way to guarantee all of these things is by working with a successful New Jersey bankruptcy attorney.

 

Image: “Fraud Key” by Jake Rustenhoven – licensed under CC 2.0

 

NJ Mortgage Help for Single Parents

Going through a separation and divorce is never easy, but the complication level increases when you add children to the mix. Establishing a stable family life for your kids is something every good parent strives to do, and divorce can throw a wrench into even the best laid plans.

Supporting the expenses required as a newly single parent is a daunting task as you attempt to maintain as much constancy and normalcy for your children as possible. To that end, the marital/family home is most often where divorced parents elect for their children to remain living.

With that being said, finances don’t always stretch far enough for one parent on their own to pay the mortgage on that family home, along with all other monthly expenses. If both parents are able to pitch in financially to keep the children and one parent in the home, the chances of losing the home are lower. However, the threat of foreclosure for recently divorced single parents is real, and although frightening, it is not something that will go away if you ignore it.

If you are a single parent fighting to keep the home your children have thus far grown up in, you may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of making that monthly mortgage payment on your own. Missed payments are common after significant life events like job loss, illness, death, and, you guessed it – divorce.

The bank will never throw me out since I have young children, right?

Unfortunately, too many people simply give banks and lenders a lot more credit than they deserve. Your bank does not care if you have children, an elderly parent, three sick dogs and a chronic illness – their bottom line is money. You may think, “But there are people working at that bank; surely there is someone there with enough empathy to see that I am struggling.”

While that may be true – of course there are kind people working in banks and lending institutions – they must follow the instructions they are given by their superiors. A mortgage loan that is not being paid on time or at all WILL be sent into foreclosure by the lender. The question is not “If” but “When.”

How can I keep the bank from foreclosing? I just need a little more time!

The best move you can make if you’re in a similar situation is to take action before your home is foreclosed upon by your lender. You may qualify for a loan modification or refinancing. A New Jersey foreclosure and bankruptcy attorney should be the next person you call. Not many attorneys specialize in both areas, so it is important that you work to find a certified NJ attorney who has the experience you need.

Why do I need a bankruptcy attorney? I’m not broke and I want to keep my home.

An experienced NJ attorney who handles both foreclosure defense and bankruptcy matters will be able to stall your foreclosure by using the Automatic Stay. This tactic can only be utilized if the debtor files for bankruptcy.

Even if filing for bankruptcy was not on your top ten list of things to accomplish in life, it is a means to an end that has helped a multitude of people in your exact situation before.

 

Image: “Mother’s Moment” by Leonid Mamchenkov – licensed under CC 2.0

Fear of Death: The Newest American Epidemic

As medical advances began to rapidly increase several decades ago in the United States, the concept of death has become “optional” to a large percentage of Americans. Treatments, cures and therapies all have put a giant safety net under our lives; if one doctor can’t fix you, there is almost always one who is willing to try.

While progress in the medical field has allowed millions of people to live healthier, more fulfilling lives – the most notable change has been the rise in life expectancy rates. Over the past century, the average American has tacked on almost 20 years to their expected life span.

Americans who lived a century ago were not scared of death because of how common it was. Today’s Americans view medicine, science, diet and exercise as a cure for the problem of dying. Now that death has become something that typically occurs in old age, growing old feels like the ultimate failure to many. Denial of death has become the newest American epidemic.

Why is this a problem?

The intense fear of death in our country has put blinders on a large portion of the population, making it impossible to talk about or plan for the inevitable.

As the Baby Boomer generation now edges into old age, many of them are “fighting” growing old with facelifts, hair transplants, fillers, implants and a staunchly oblivious attitude toward their chronological age.

Denial of the eventuality of death has led to a stifled community who cannot even think about dying without breaking into a cold sweat. What this means is that no one wants to talk about their own mortality, or that of their parents (who may be Baby Boomers).

Depending on your own spiritual/religious/personal beliefs, you may not agree that death is something to fear. There are groups of Americans who welcome death as a part of life – a passage into a new beginning.

However, statistics show that most Americans are of the mindset that death is something that can be avoided. Many people in this group simply refuse to plan for their own demise, which leaves a whole new set of problems for those who are left behind.

Overcoming your fear of dying is imperative in that you simply must make plans for your children, your assets, your funeral – even your organs. Prior to dying, you may become ill or unable to care for yourself. Without an Advance Care Directive, no one will know your wishes in such a scenario.

Talking to a therapist about your fear of dying can be immensely helpful. You can learn how to make your life matter so that you develop an acceptance of your mortality. These are important steps for your own mental health, and they will allow you to make decisions about the end of your life – decisions that no one should make but you.

Start here. We’ll help gently guide you through setting up a proper estate plan.

 

Image: “No Fear” by Thomas Leuthard – licensed under CC 2.0

I’m Being Sued for More Money than I Owe!

Is a debt from your past coming back to haunt you in the present? Although not ideal, sometimes it happens. Perhaps you weren’t making sound financial decisions at that point in your life and accidentally (or intentionally) ignored some past due notices until they just stopped coming.

It can feel like it’s easier to ignore bills when you don’t have the means to pay them. However, the end result is almost always going to be substantially worse than your original debt.

While it can take some companies awhile to take action on smaller debts, the bad news is that your (once) small-ish debt has had a load of time to compound upon itself, rolling around in interest rates, gathering late fees and potentially even picking up attorney’s fees. If your original lender or credit card company has hired counsel to address getting you to pay up, it is possible for them to tack their attorney’s fees on to the amount owed.

What can I do?

Your credit card company is hoping that you’ll get scared by the big number they’re asking for – as you should. If you receive a summons and complaint that says you owe double, triple or quadruple your original debt amount – now is the time to obtain counsel yourself.

How can I afford an attorney if I can’t even pay my debt?

Working with a New Jersey debt settlement attorney on a matter like this is highly unlikely to cost you thousands of dollars. In all likelihood, the right NJ lawyer will have the required negotiating skills to bring the amount owed down to a much more reasonable number – simply by making a few phone calls and/or sending some letters.

Your attorney can then work to coordinate a payment plan that is manageable for you so that you can pay off the (now much lower) balance. The lender/credit card company will almost always be happy to get some form of payment from you as opposed to nothing.

What will happen if my case goes to court?

If, by chance, your credit card company does not want to settle via your credit repair attorney, New Jersey courts will set up a mediation wherein the same kind of talks will take place. A court appointed mediator will work with you and your attorney, along with counsel for the opposing side, to negotiate a resolution that everyone can agree to.

The bottom line is: if you have been served with a lawsuit to collect a debt in a much higher amount than you originally owed, you’re probably not going to get out of paying at least part of the debt unless you file for bankruptcy. If you have the means to pay back the amount that your lawyer negotiates for you, you should do so in a timely manner so that your credit score doesn’t take an even bigger hit.

On the other hand, if you are completely strapped and cannot imagine even one dollar of your debt (and likely other debts that you owe) being repaid, it is definitely time to consider filing for a NJ bankruptcy. This will wipe out a significant amount of your total debt, leaving you much more financially stable, which will allow you to “start over” with a much cleaner slate.

 

Image: “Breaking into your Savings” by Images Money – licensed under CC 2.0