If you have been looking through this website, you most likely see that we advocate do-it-yourself credit repair. But, can one handle their own debt litigation? Of course! Besides the wealth of free information on our site, there is a lot of free information on the Internet regarding litigation and how to handle your own lawsuit.
Let’s say you are taking on the legal firm of “You Owe & Pay Now” hired by one of those evil collection companies. You are going to need a set of tools to keep it all the documents and information in order and easy to find. Most of the materials are cheap and some you may already own. If you get these materials together and keep them in one place, it will be much easier to navigate the legal process. Being organized is half the battle and the better organized and prepared you are, the better your chances are for success.
Supplies You Will Need to Handle a Lawsuit
- A two-drawer filing cabinet or a cardboard file drawer to keep all of your papers organized and safe.
- File folders.
- Office supplies such as a stapler and staples, pens and paper, highlight pens, and yellow sticky pads.
- Legal size privacy envelops.
- Certified mailing cards and slips, which can be picked up at your local post office. It is easier to fill these out at home and bring the completed forms to the post office for mailing. You can also send things certified by printing your own labels at the USPS website.
- Recorder for your phone.
- Clipboard for your pre-printed log form to keep track of phone calls.
- A printer that can scan documents so you can e-mail them.
- Computer and printer. If you can not afford one, you can use a public computer at a local library or college campus.
- Flash drive or a data stick that you can save files to if you are using a public computer. This is also a great way to back up all your information in the case of a computer crash.
- A journal or diary to record how the collection calls have affected your ability to sleep, concentrate, and work. How it has affected your personal life and relationships. How it impacts your health. Feelings of loss, hopelessness, depression, thoughts of suicide. This journal can be for you, but it can also serve as a record for a potential claim of damages in addition to anything else claimed.
- Several three-ring binders and dividers in which to put the following:
- State Rules of Evidence
- Other court topics are divided into separate sections. I had my binder organized with all documents from day one, with anticipated actions by the Plaintiff and my responses and a section on case law, and one with motions written up in advance with citations to keep me on task.
Sources for Free Legal Information
Besides having all of the necessary supplies on hand, you will also need access to some free information regarding litigation. Here are some sites we have found and highly recommend:
- Legal Forum — Our legal discussion group is a great place to see what others have gone through as well as a great place to ask questions.
- Law Guru — This site has a search function for past legal questions, free legal advice, and other legal research tools.
