Do I need an Attorney on a Credit Card case?

I get this question quite a bit. Do I need an attorney on this credit card case, or can I handle it myself? I am not trying to drum up new business for myself here, but I have to say that it is essential that you have an attorney to defend your interests on a collection agency case.

Every once in a while, I do encounter an individual who can handle a case on their own, but that occurs very infrequently. It's usually someone who have been through the lawsuit process several times and who has picked up bits and pieces here and there. Even with a few cases under your belt, I still do not believe that it is a good idea to represent yourself in a lawsuit. We have a saying that "only a fool represents himself" and I believe it to be true.

The reasons that you need an attorney are many. First of all, an attorney handles lawsuits on a daily basis, it's what we are paid to do. Think about it, would you want to operate on yourself? No, you would leave that to a trained professional. Lawsuits are the exact same thing.

My biggest concern when an individual represents themselves is that they have no idea what the process is, they have no idea which defenses they need to present, and they have no idea when to present them.

There is an order to how you handle a lawsuit. There are certain defenses that need to be presented at certain times. If you fail to present the proper defense at the proper time, you can waive (lose) the right to present that defense. If you waive it, you do not get it back.

The facts are that the cost of hiring an attorney to defend you on these types of cases is minimal compared to the savings that can occur if the attorney handles the case the right way and obtains a successful verdict for you.

If you have a credit card company or a collection agency attempting to collect a debt from you, please contact my office at 412-823-8003 or send an email to Attorney Greg Artim