Protecting consumers occurs in various ways. We help consumers receive justice when they have been wronged by companies and we also help consumers eliminate their debt.
CONSUMER FRAUD CASES
A sample of the consumer fraud cases that Williamson Law Firm, LLC handles includes: auto sell and repair fraud, consumer privacy, credit card fraud, credit reports, debt collection, defective products, false or misleading advertising, insurance fraud, internet/electronic commerce fraud, investment fraud, lease fraud, lending fraud, mail order fraud, telemarketing fraud, and warrantee fraud.
For questions on how these actions generally proceed when filed in court, please visit our Civil Litigation FAQ Page.
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DEBT NEGOTIATION CASES
The Firm’s Debt Negotiation Division is overseen by Uzo Ohaebosim. Through the firm’s network of Of Counsel attorneys and utilizing para-professionals as well as a cutting edge case management system, the firm has the ability to service clients throughout the country. If you’re knee deep in debt, cannot pay your bills and wish to avoid collection calls, you may consider debt negotiation .Utilizing our debt negotiation services, consumers are often able to avoid filing bankruptcy. Depending on the level of debt, after a period of approximately 2 years, many clients are able to settle credit cards debt with all their creditors.
The types of debt that we typically negotiate: unsecured debt such as credit cards, medical bills, gas/store cards, and unsecured personal loans. As with any legal choice, there are pros and cons and engaging a lawyer is a serious decision that must be made carefully:
Pros:
1. Avoid bankruptcy: With debt negotiations, we can reduce your debt burden and pay off bills comfortably. We can negotiate with the creditors or collection agency (CA) and settle debts. Thus, you don’t need to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. There are chances of losing your home or car in bankruptcy wherein your assets are sold off to pay your creditors. Moreover, with filing bankruptcy, you cannot begin rebuilding your credit successfully until 10 years after the bankruptcy is discharged. When we resolve debt through our program, you can start rebuilding your credit when all the accounts are settled.
2. Single payment: Instead of paying multiple bills each month, you’ll have to make a single monthly payment to the firm. The monthly payments are accumulated in your client trust account in order to be paid off to your creditors/CA after negotiation. So, you can avoid the stress of paying debts at different rates and dealing with several creditors at a time.
3. Avoid unfair collection practices: You can avoid unfair collection practices and harassment by debt collectors if you negotiate a settlement. Once we agree to represent you, the creditor calls stop and all bills and communications are sent to our firm and filed in your client file.
4. Eliminate extra charges: We can try and eliminate late payment fees, if any. Any over-the-limit fees on credit cards can also be minimized or eliminated by way of settlement.
5. Avoid lawsuit & other legal actions: Creditors or the CA can file a lawsuit, get a judgment order and garnish your wages or place lien on your property. You may be able to avoid such legal actions if you’re in our program. Even if a creditor brings an action against you, we will assist you in the court proceedings and ensure that the creditor can meet its burden of proof against you.
Cons:
1. Credit score drops: In negotiation program, you will not be likely be paying creditors until we can successfully negotiate a resolution. Due to late payment or charge-offs, your credit score takes a hit.
2. You may owe taxes: Once you go for credit card settlement or settle other debts, creditors will forgive a percentage of what you owe. As such, the IRS will require you to pay taxes on this forgiven debt which is known as cancellation-of-debt (COD) income. This is often not of serious consequence, but you should consult a tax professional.
3. Account status on credit report: Unless agreed between us and the creditor, the account status on your credit report will be updated as “Settled” which creates a negative impact on your score as compared to a “Paid in full” status.
Debt negotiation provides way out of debt. However, your credit score is likely to go down when you stop paying creditors and save mone to resolve the accounts. But you can repair your score by using a secured credit card, or a gas/store card. Such cards are easily available even if you have a poor credit history. Besides, you need to pay off other bills on time while you settle credit cards and other dues using debt negotiation services.
