Practice Areas: Collections
Justin Ledden, Civil Litigation Attorney
Ledden Law Office represents Plaintiffs and Defendants in collections matters.
If you're a Plaintiff seeking a money judgment, you might go through an exhaustive litigation process, perhaps through extensive negotiations, one or more mediations, and/or all the way through trial. Before it's through, this can often take years and a sizable emotional toll on everyone involved. But in many cases, once the judgment is secured, the real challenge begins: actually getting the defendant to pay up.
At other times, the case will be much shorter: the Defendant essentially knows the Plaintiff will most likely prevail in regards to the legal issues. The Defendant will choose not to fight, and a default will result. But even a default matter can be fraught with peril and can be significantly delayed, and/or awards can be significantly less than optimal. In default (or potential default) matters, it makes sense to find an attorney with significant experience in obtaining default judgments.
Part of understanding a collections case, or any litigation for that matter, is making an informed decision about whether to bring the case in the first place: What good is commencing a matter if the defendant is essentially judgment proof, i.e. uncollectable? Ledden Law Office works with top quality investigators to ensure that a potential defendant is thoroughly vetted before making the important decision of whether to commence the litigation process.
Assuming a judgment does come up in your favor, it is then time try to get the money. In an era when debtors have become experts at hiding funds, often with few consequences, it often isn't easy. Therefore, it isn't always worth breaking the bank for a mere chance at the money. It is important to consult an attorney who has experience with the various collection techniques at a creditor's disposal – someone who knows what buttons to push, and when.
Ledden Law Office also uses this extensive collections experience to help defendants who are wrongfully alleged to owe money to someone.