As an Orlando bankruptcy lawyer, one of the first things I advise my clients to do when they decide they are filing bankruptcy and hire me is to stop paying on their credit cards. Recently, though, before I could offer that advice, a client asked me: “What happens when I stop paying my credit cards?”

The short answer is, the collection process will begin. It usually goes something like this:

1. You will receive frequent phone calls from the original creditor, as will your family and your employer, attempting to convince you to make a payment over the phone. The collection agent will try to intimidate you, by saying they will ruin your financial life unless you pay up.

2. In about 90 days, your original creditor will give up and sell your account to a debt collector. This third party agency will then repeat the actions above.

3. Then, around 180 days from the time you stop making payments, you may hear from an attorney. This attorney will simply try to collect on the debt, following the same protocol in 1 and 2 above.

4. Finally, the attorney may file a lawsuit against you seeking a judgment that would allow the creditor to attempt to collect on the judgment. By the way, then, and only then, can your wages be garnished.

Kind of a long process until a judgment is obtained, right? Over 6 months from the time payments stopped being made if I added correctly. So why, as a bankruptcy lawyer, do I advise my clients to stop paying on credit cards when they hire me?

Because the idea is for my client to be filing bankruptcy sometime well before the judgment is entered. Garnishment is taken out of the equation. This way, my client uses the payments they would have made to an abusive debt collector, for a credit card debt, to catch up on a car payment or a house payment they want to keep through filing bankruptcy, or to start building that safety net their Orlando bankruptcy lawyer advocates creating as part of your fresh start strategy when filing bankruptcy.

As for those rude and abusive debt collectors, why not sue them? You see, here in Florida, we have some of the toughest laws in the country to protect consumers. These laws are intended to protect you from the abuse described above, which debt collectors use on a regular basis to coerce you into paying your debt. Aside from the Florida laws, there is also a Federal Law which prohibits third party debt collectors from those same abusive acts. To enforce your rights, you can sue your creditors.

If you let it be, the collection process can be an intimidating experience. But, if you know how it all works, and you know your rights, it can empowering one. Once you recognize the hollow threats tossed around by debt collectors for what they are, and they become laughable; and are often actionable in court.

Check out my Free eCourse to learn more about how an experienced bankruptcy lawyer can help successfully navigate you through the debt collection process and help you get a fresh start financially.