If someone you know owes you a great deal of money that you lent them, you may decide to attempt to sue them to recover the amount. After making an appointment with a civil litigation lawyer, gather the following information so the lawyer can have a clearer picture of your claim and what you want to get out of it.
Write Down All Events as You Remember Them
When you first meet with the attorney, you want to give them as many details about the events leading up to and surrounding the loaning of the money, as well as everything you have tried to do to collect the debt. While you could rely only on your memory and verbally tell your story, you risk leaving out important details that could impact your case.
Instead of trying to remember everything on the fly, sit down a few days before the consultation, and write out everything that happened. Pick a time when you will not be disturbed for a couple of hours to concentrate.
When you begin, just start writing everything that comes to mind without giving thought to the timeline. This brainstorming session can help you remember what the other party said when they requested the money, as well as any agreements they made when you tried to collects, such as they would pay you on such and such date.
Once you have finished the brainstorming session, rewrite everything. However, this time, put the events in order so you can have a clear, methodical picture of what happened.
Bring Copies of Any Paper or Electronic Correspondences
After you have written out the chronological details of lending the individual money, the next step is to gather together any concrete evidence of any agreements or discussions you had with the other party. This includes any letters, emails, and text messages that show the conversations the two of you had.
You can also request a copy of your phone records to show how many times you have called and either spoke with the person or received no answer. The latter could show that you have made attempts to contact the other party to collect but that they were being uncooperative.
The above information can help give the lawyer an overview of the claim you wish to file. However, before you attend the first meeting, make sure you contact the office of your civil litigation attorney to see if there is anything else they may require to help you get started with filing your claim.
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