Wisconsin Bankruptcy Law

An article posted at the Dallas Observer website tells of a man on the hook for $100,000 in debt who has created what amounts to a cottage industry in filing lawsuits against debt collection agencies: “While most Americans with unpaid bills dread the collector’s call, Cunningham sees them as lucrative opportunities. Many collection and credit car companies, intentionally or not, violate little-known consumer rights laws, and Cunningham’s favorite pastime is catching them doing so and then suing them. In fact, it’s a profitable side job.”

Collection agencies must live up to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other federal and state consumer protection laws. For that reason, it is a good idea to keep records of your interactions with these agencies if they begin to harass you. The federal FDCPA law prohibits abusive and deceptive conduct by a debt collector. A quick Internet search on this topic will explain what qualifies as prohibited conduct.

If the underlying debt(s) are valid, however, it may be a better and less-stressful approach to address your financial obligations before they get turned over for collection. According to the article, Americans owe an astounding $2.5 trillion in consumer debt, and that isn’t even counting home mortgages. In this financial environment, many well-meaning Wisconsin consumers have found themselves buried in debt as a result of economic hardships. If the wolves are at your front door, a debt consolidation lawyer can provide expert advice about how to wipe that debt off the books, including whether a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Milwaukee makes sense in your situation. Separately, a Wisconsin bankruptcy lawyer can also help you decide if collection agencies violated the law when contacting you, and if it’s worth going after them in court.