You have worked hard to build a thriving business and things are going great, but your margins just are not adding up. Quick research yields that your business has a number of delinquent accounts on the books, and it is beginning to adversely affect your cash flow. You make calls yourself, but just cannot seem to get these customers to pay, so now you look outward for help. Your first major decision point is whether you hire a collection agency or a collections attorney.
With ever-increasing protections for debtors, the rules for creditors to collect debt have become stricter with more severe punishment for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including monetary damages, attorney’s fees, and more. No matter which party you ultimately choose, it is paramount that the collector operate on the right side of the law. That said, both agencies and attorneys are operating under the same goal, which is to collect on the debt that you hired them to retrieve. There do, however, exist differences in regards to how an agency attempts to collect a debt vs. efforts of an attorney.
Collection agencies will often take the same steps to collect as you did, using a multi-communications strategy to reach the debtor. This can include phone calls, letters and/or emails to retrieve what is owed you. A collections agency can also file a credit report on your behalf. The use of a third-party name can instill greater urgency within the debtor to pay and the collection agency has experience they can draw from to drive results. An agency is a superior option when there is a large amount of accounts with a small delinquent balance to recover on.
A collection attorney could take similar steps and produce a different effect. The largest difference in approach is that an attorney can also take a debtor to court on your behalf. Retaining a Georgia collection attorney holds more weight and authority since it signifies that legal action may be imminent. If court becomes necessary, a judgment in your favor opens up alternative methods to collect the money owed, such as wage garnishing, tax liens, and income collections that are not available through agency collection.
You may still not get the entire amount owed to you, but you now have other ways to recoup at least a portion of the funds. Collection Attorneys are the clear choice when there is a large delinquent debt that would incur significant hardship on the creditor should the delinquency carry on. This is because an attorney can pursue the matter beyond credit reporting and phone calls, compelling the payment of the debtor through the court system.
Hiring a law firm with experience in debt collection has many advantages. Thrift McLemore’s attorneys are qualified in the State of Georgia to collect debts on behalf of their clients. We can save you time, money, and frustration because prior to any collection action, we evaluate the legal merit of your claim, including statutory and evidentiary review. Contact Thrift McLemore by email at info@thriftlegal.com or by phone at 678-882-0830 to discuss how we can help you and your organization today!
