LACD | Legal Advocates for Consumers in Debt

1. How do I get started?

2. Can I pay more?

Yes. There is no pre-pay penalty. LACD encourages you to pay more and get out of debt faster. LACD just needs you to regularly make your agreed-upon payment to insure that all of your creditors get a payment every month.

3. Can I add bills later?

Yes. Your monthly payment amount might change and the number of months in the program might also change. There is a one-time fee for each additional bill.

4. Is this a loan?

No. You already received a loan from your creditors. Borrowing more money will NOT solve the problem.

5. Can I send in half of my payment every other week?

Yes. You can send in your payment to match your pay schedule. If you get paid every other week, you can send in half every other week. If you are paid weekly, you can send in a quarter-payment every week.

6. Once LACD receives my start-up package (signed contract, payment and bills), how long does it take to get started?

LACD will send out a Welcome Letter and give you a Welcome Call to let you know that everything has been received and the process is starting. That same week, letters also go out to your creditors to get your accounts correctly enrolled in the creditor sponsored payment program. Creditors may respond to both you and LACD, usually within one month.

7. What if I do NOT pay?

Only your money is sent to the creditors. If you do not pay, your creditors do not get paid.

8. Does this program hurt my credit score?

Signing up for the LACD attorney supervised payment plan does not affect your score at all. Your score will not go up or down. The only thing that appears on your credit report is that you are enrolled in a creditor sponsored payment program. This does not change your score.

9. Can I do this myself?

Probably. You may not receive the lower interest rates or stopped fees and you may need to come up with a large upfront payment.

10. What are your office hours?