Struggling to collect debts your clients or customers refuse to pay or outright ignore is a stressful situation for any business owner in Salt Lake City. Your business depends on payment from your customers and when they refuse to pay their bills, they leave you in a dangerous situation.
You must collect the invoices they owe you, but it’s difficult to do that when they aren’t paying the bills you continue to send. When it appears all hope is lost and a customer is not going to pay their bill, it’s time to consider the next step. Many business owners want to know if hiring Salt Lake City collection attorneys is the next best step.
Many people are scared when they find an official letter from an attorney in their mailbox, and it’s all it takes to cause them to write that check or call with a credit card number. If you’re in this situation with some of your customers, it’s time to learn what to look for when it comes to hiring Salt Lake City collection attorneys.
Find Referrals
If you own a business, you probably know several other business owners. This means you probably know at least one or two people who have been in the same situation.
Other business owners aren’t immune to clients and customers who refuse to pay their bills, and they are often in the same position of hiring a collection attorney to help with their own financial matters.
Ask around to see if any other business owners you know have a recommendation for a collection attorney to help with your case. The best collection attorneys have a good reputation among Salt Lake City business owners, and that’s precisely what you’re looking for when you hire someone to handle a financial situation this delicate.
Ask to Speak to Past Customers
Once you find a few good recommendations; ask the attorneys if they have past customers willing to speak to you about their situation. This is not uncommon, and it’s not something you should be afraid to ask. Collection attorneys know business owners want the best of the best, and most are happy to provide the contact information for at least a few past customers willing to discuss their experience with the attorney and his or her office. This can provide you with peace of mind, and it can help you understand the situation a little more clearly as you enter into territory you might not otherwise be familiar with.
Discuss Fees
Before you hire any Salt Lake City collection attorneys, compare their rates with other collection attorneys in the area. One priced very low is suspicious, and one priced very high in comparison to other attorneys in the area might raise some red flags. You want to choose an attorney that meets your budget but also has a great reputation.
Ask what the fees are for, ask for a detailed list of how you are charged for services, and discuss when payments are due and who is responsible for paying those. Many business owners pass on the fees they pay their attorney to collect debts to the customers who refused to pay the debt in the first place. It’s the best way to make sure they cover their legal and collection costs from the situation as well as get the money they’re owed.
Check for Legitimate Attorneys
All attorneys must be licensed by the State Bar. Debt collection is such a big practice across the country that there are always a few people who pretend to be an attorney so they can collect exorbitant fees from those who owe money to a business, but they’re not licensed.
Ask to see these licenses when you hire an attorney and don’t forget to check whether the attorney works within the confines of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. An attorney not adhering to this national law could not only lose your case for you, but they could end up damaging your chances of ever seeking repayment for a debt.
Once you find an attorney you feel can do the job, meet with him or her in person. The most important thing is you work well together. If you have feelings about an attorney that you don’t appreciate, move on. This is someone with whom you will work closely for the next few weeks or months, and you should have a good working relationship going forward. If you don’t mesh well with an attorney, don’t hire him or her. You are in control of this situation and should handle it in a manner that leaves you feeling comfortable and in control of how it works.