QUESTION
What do I about this potential civil law suit?
Asked on Jan 28th, 2020 on Legal Malpractice - Florida
More details to this question:
I had a petit thief case that was handled by my lawyer. Now I keep getting letters from the attorney of the store from the incident asking me to pay. The first time o received the letter asking to pay $200 my lawyer said I don’t have to pay it if don’t want to and most likely nothing will come of it. Fast forward I get another letter saying I now have pay $400 because I failed to pay it the first time. Today I just received another letter say if I do not pay they can choose to pursue civil remedies by filing a civil lawsuit against me. I don’t know what to do. I wish I had just payed it the first time but my lawyer made it seem like it was no big deal and that it was nothing. I do not have the money to pay them at the moment and I am very fearful. Help please.
1 ANSWER
Consumer Debt Collector Harassment & Abuse Attorney serving Tampa, FL
Partner at
Tischhauser Law Group
2 Awards
"I do not have the money to pay them at the moment and I am very fearful." if that is the response to the demand for shoplifting/theft letter, trying to blame the lawyer is simply disingengous. If you don't have $400.00 now you likely didn't have $200.00 then and thats the issue. Its $400.00 not $4,000.00 so if you want to resolve the civil claim component, you will need to find $400.00 and for 99% of people that is achived by making financial sacrifices to raise the money, but can be done. Now, your lawyer is right, that in most instances they do not actually pursue a civil lkawsuit. HOWEVER you dhould knw there is a growing trend of retailers and lawyers that will looking to add legal fees to non dischargable in bankruptcy judgment with the expectation of possibly coillecting on the fund over the next 20 years
Answered on Feb 03rd, 2020 at 2:09 PM
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