Many people have trouble paying their credit card debts—but not everyone realizes that they could be sued for unpaid credit card debt. Generally, debt collectors don’t issue a court summons unless they’ve already made other attempts to collect on the debt.

How do I respond to a credit card summons?

Here’s how to respond to a court summons for credit card debt:

1. Don’t ignore it. If you do this, the court will simply rule in the issuer or debt collector’s favor.
2. Try to work things out.
3. Answer the summons.
4. Consult an attorney.
5. Go to court.
6. Respond to the ruling.

What to do when a credit company sues you?

Request a settlement. You can request a settlement by contacting the credit card company directly. The amount of the settlement can vary based on the company and your ability to pay, and it can be either a lump-sum payment or an installment plan, depending on the creditor.

When do you get court papers about a credit card lawsuit?

When you get court papers about a credit card lawsuit, you have a choice: take no action, or use the laws to level the playing field. The debt collectors have done everything possible to convince you they have all the power, but that’s not true.

What happens when you get served papers for debt?

One thing that happens when you get served papers for debt is that the burden of proof rests heavily with the plaintiff. That means the person suing you has to prove: That you are responsible for the debt; That they have the right to sue you; That you owe a specific amount

Why are there so many credit card lawsuits?

Many people think debt buyers prefer to avoid lawsuits to collect old credit card debts because it requires them to pay lawyers and incur costs of litigation. If this were true, however, credit card lawsuits would be far less common than is the case. In fact, there were nearly 200,000 credit card collection lawsuits filed in New York in 2011 alone.

How are past due credit card accounts sold?

Past due credit card accounts are sold along with thousands of others to a debt buyer such as Midland Funding or Portfolio Recovery Associates. These companies buy credit card and other consumer debt accounts at steep discounts with the expectation that they will collect enough to make a profit overall. The business model works.