“What is a ‘statement of claims’ in a debt collection lawsuit?”
“What is a ‘statement of claims’ in a debt collection lawsuit?”
So, you’ve been sued.
Now you’re wondering, “What is this ‘statement of claims’ that the sheriff just handed me?”
This is similar to (and sometimes the same as) the “Complaint.”
This is what starts the lawsuit by the collector against you.
It shows you the following:
- Who is suing you
- What you are being sued for
- How much you are being sued for
- What court you have been sued in
Usually, no details are given on what the debt collector/buyer possibly purchased.
This is because these debt buyers normally have no evidence that they own the debt so they don’t want to put any detail into the statement of claims.
But even with little details, this document is a legitimate lawsuit.
You must answer within 14 days or 30 days.
Depending on your case, you’ll fall into one of these three courts.
You have 14 days in Small Claims or District Court.
However, you have 30 days to answer in Circuit Court,.
What if you have questions?
If you have questions about a statement of claims you can call us at 1-205-879-2447.
We would be glad to set up a telephone (or video) meeting or a meeting in person.
You can also request our free information package on debt buyer lawsuits in Alabama.
We’ll go over your five options:
- Bankruptcy — usually a terrible choice but occasionally it is appropriate
- Fight the lawsuit on your own — depending on who sued you and for how much, this can be a good option
- Settle the lawsuit on your won — paying a lump sum or monthly amount. Not usually a good choice.
- Hire us to fight the lawsuit — we’ll explain our fee and help you decide if this is a good move for you
- Hire us to settle the lawsuit — normally our settlements do not involve you paying any money to the debt collector — we can talk about this by phone.
You can watch a detailed video or read the transcript here on your five options.
Give us a call at 1-205-879-2447.
You can also contact us through our website if you prefer.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!