“To DIY or not to DIY, that is the question” – pros and cons of the debt settlement attorney
Some people think that it’s far better to manage the debts on your own. Still the others consider turning to the debt settlement attorney as the better option. Here we offer the chart, where you can clearly see advantages and disadvantages of both ways and make your choice wisely.
How can I define the debt settlement attorney as a good one?
For your debts to be settled in time and with the significant lowering of the sum you shall turn to the right USA debt settlement attorney. Here are 4 tips to help you discover the company with experience, knowledge and proficiency.
Check out the license
See if the attorney obtains the needed license to work in the needed state of USA. You can also opt to visit the State Bar Association website to search for the attorney in the list of licensed organizations.
Watch the fee
There’s no secret that there are going to be fees, still you shall know exactly how much you’re going to pay to the debt settlement attorney. The fees depend on several features such as the amount of the debt, the case complexity and some more things. You can easily find the attorney with lowest fees in order to save some money.
Check the reviews
Do not hesitate to read online reviews about the chosen attorney. This will uncover for you the track record of the attorney’s activity and let you know if some clients were not satisfied with the negotiation results. On the other hand the attorney with the high success rate is more likely to settle your debt.
Check out the BBB
The attorney might not be registered with Better Business Bureau; still it is the great advantage if it’s there in the list. The data is accessible on the official site of BBB.
What is do-it-yourself debt settlement?
If you feel yourself confident enough, you can act as the professional of the debt settlement company. The first case for you to solve will be your own!
In other words you may try to run the negotiation process with your creditors in order to settle the debt. The first step most likely will be the call to the customer service department of your credit card company. You may count on success in case you’re not paying regularly, but can afford to make the lump sum payment. The payment plan will not help much, only the lump sum payment in the defined amount will be enough for the credit card company.
Pros
Making all the negotiation by your own you are able to save the money you’d have spent on the fees. Also you get more control over the payment process and the general situation, which might help you to finish the process successfully.
Cons
Not all the USA creditors will deal with the consumers directly. Some have their policy restricting such an option. Also the debtors may be offered higher rates then the debt settlement manager, who obtains the relationships with the creditor and knows exactly how to talk to him. The paperwork is not an easy thing for the debtor who is not used to it, moreover different creditors obtain different procedures of terms and offers determination.
The debt settlement attorney usually has the customer service, where all the questions will be answered to the client. The support might appear to be extremely valuable with the aggressive creditors. There other cases when the third party is needed for no mistakes to be made. Also this will help you to save your nerves and time.
What does the creditor care about?
The main thought in the head of creditor is not to lose the invested money at all in case the client files the bankruptcy. The main thing is to prove to the creditor that here he will gain more money than with any other option. The collector agencies and attorneys charge over 40% commission, which means the creditor doesn’t get the full amount of money anyway. The collectors usually get from 1 to 12 cents for each dollar they get from the debtor. The main rule is: the older – the cheaper. Still the collector calls often push the debtors into bankruptcy, and in this case the creditor gets nothing at all.