What legal fees are typical to defend a collection lawsuit?
A Its not as expensive as people think, and lawyers who regularly defend collection cases usually do a better job at lower cost, then lawyers who take any type of case that walks in the door. The fee depends on the damages amount being claimed and the nature of your defenses and any counter claims. The California Superior Court has two categories of cases filed by debt collectors: Unlimited Civil and Limited Civil. Unlimited Civil are for cases over $25,000 and permits much more paperwork, because the stakes are higher. Cases seeking damages of $25,000 or less are called Limited Civil, which has rules limiting the paperwork and making trial preparation easier. Thus, Limited Civil cases require less time, so the fee is lower, sometimes even a flat rate. The fee also depends on whether there is already a money judgment [link to article on judgments] that must be set aside, which requires extra time and cost to prepare and file. In some cases, the debt collector harassed you, or the lawsu
