Debt collectors are prohibited from taking certain actions in connection with their efforts to collect a debt. Just because you owe somebody money does not give them the right to be abusive or harassing. Calls to family members and employers are common ways to shame you into making payments. Sometimes a debt collector will contact the wrong person, which can also be a violation of the law.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act allows for the collection of actual damages, $1,000 in statutory damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs of any lawsuit you file when a debt collector violates its provisions. That means that you do not pay Enright Law’s fees in such a case; instead I make sure that the debt collector pays my fees as part of any judgment against them or settlement.