When a judge rules in your favor in litigation, it is easy to think the hard part is behind you. Unfortunately, collecting your just reward can be a lot more trouble than it may seem. After all, people aren’t often ready and willing to hand over their money, even when the courts say they must. D&T Legal Services is here to help you navigate this mess so you can get what you deserve.
In cases such as those above, and many like them, you’ll be facing a mountain of paperwork and processes between you and your money. Don’t worry, as D&T Legal Services is here to help. We can provide all the necessary debt collection services to receive your winnings.
We work with individuals and law offices in the bay area, across Northern California and beyond.
The first step of judgment collection is to hurry up and wait. California law allows judgment debtors up to 30 days to appeal the ruling. While it can be tempting to start pushing the other party to pay up, this is rarely a good idea. The last thing you want to do is remind the other party that they still have time to appeal!
Once those first 30 days are up, you are ready to begin the debt collections process. If the debtor fails to pay up, you have three main ways to go after their holdings. D&T Legal Services can help you with all three of these processes. We can also help you file the Writ of Execution you will need to seize what is owed.
Do you know where the debtor is employed? If so, wage garnishments are often the easiest way to get your reward. In California, creditors are allowed to garnish as much as 25% of the debtor’s net wages from their place of work or businesses. However, California law does put strict limits on this seizure for those with low income. If your adversary doesn’t make much
Another way to collect your cash requires that you know where the debtor keeps it. If you know the bank or credit union they use, you can order a bank levy to get into their account. This requires local law enforcement, usually a sheriff, to serve the order.
This method can be much harder to use than a simple wage garnishment. Most people do not share who they bank with. Our skip tracing servers are a great way to find out where your debtor is keeping their cash. Another problem is this method usually only works once, as the debtor will most likely change banks once they’ve been hit the first time.
Another option for collecting your settlement is to skip the money and go after the debtor’s property directly. While debtors can change jobs and banks with ease, moving real estate is much less simple. If the debtor owns property such as a home, condo, commercial building or land, you can place a levy on it. Real estate law entitles you to a portion of the money generated by the sale of this property. This process can take quite some time, however. There is no guarantee the debtor will try to sell the property anytime soon. This can be complicated by the fact that, in California, real estate property liens last a maximum of ten years.
Whether you are an individual, an attorney or a law firm working in many practice areas, we are here to help. It is time to get paid! Contact us today to have D&T Legal Services help you collect what you are owed!
| Contra Costa & Alameda Counties | $160 min + Sheriff’s fee |
| All Other Counties | $210 min + Sheriff’s fee |
| Document Preparation | $25 |
| Writ of Execution | $85 |
| Two Day Rush Service | add $45 – $80 |
| Levy or Attachments | $300 min + Sheriff and Recorder fees |
