Alabama Debt Collection Lawsuit- “Do I have to show up for trial when I’m sued by a collector?”
If you’re dealing with a debt collection lawsuit, you may wonder, “Do I have to show up for my trial?
If you’re defending yourself, then you do need to show up for trial.
If you don’t show up, you’ll lose your case.
Why?
Well, if you don’t show up and the collection lawyer does, then you’ll get a default judgment against you, which is bad.
If you’ve hired a lawyer, you should ask them if you should show up or not.
If we represent you, then we usually will tell you not to show up unless there’s something you can testify about that will help you.
If you’re not there, then the debt collectors can’t question you.
You may wonder, “Why would that matter?”
Well, usually these collectors will show up to court with nothing. That sounds crazy but they often don’t have anything or they have a few random monthly statements.
Their reasoning is that you will show up to trial and they will trick you into admitting that they own the debt, which you have no way of knowing if they do. How could you possibly know if 3 or 5 years ago your bank made a secret deal with a debt buyer who then made another secret deal with another debt buyer to sell your account? You have no way of knowing so there is nothing for you to testify about….
Definitely get in touch with your lawyer if you aren’t sure what to do.
However, if you’ve received a subpoena, then you need to show up for your collection lawsuit trial.
A subpoena is a written document that says you’re required to be in trial.
This is different from a trial notice.
Assume you need to be at trial, unless your lawyer tells you differently.
If you’ve hired us to handle your case, we will definitely let you know well before the trial and help you through the process.
If you don’t have an attorney and you live in the state of Alabama, feel free to give us a call at 1-205-879-2447.
If you’d like, you can also fill out a contact form.
We will gladly answer any questions you may have.
Have a great day!