Patrick Austin is a licensed attorney with a background in data privacy and information security law. Patrick received his law degree at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief for the National Security Law Journal.
Co-Founder of SoloSuit George Simons, JD/MBA
George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.
Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.
Summary:
If you’re being sued by Sessoms and Rogers, be sure to file a written Answer with the court before the
deadline to avoid a default judgment. This will buy you time to contact Sessoms and Rogers directly to negotiate
a
settlement. If the thought of calling a lawyer to negotiate your debt intimidates you, use Solo
to streamline the settlement process online.
If you are being sued for a debt, you need to consider all of your options. You may not even be aware of the fact
that you can request a debt collector to verify your debt, and if they cannot, they are not legally allowed to sue
you. This is also useful if you were to attempt to negotiate a settlement.
If you are being sued by a lawyer or debt collectors such as Sessoms and Rogers, then you must respond within the
deadline and look into affirmative defenses. You should also consider proactively engaging with Sessoms and Rogers
to try and negotiate a debt settlement.
Settle debt with Sessoms and Rogers
You can negotiate debt settlement at any stage of the collections process. SoloSettle makes it easy.
Sessoms and Rogers is a North Carolina-based civil litigation law firm. Originally established in 1984, they have
typically focused on creditor rights and debt collection for financial institutions, corporations, and individuals.
Sessoms and Rogers has also worked in commercial litigation, commercial landlord representation, and appellate
cases. This essentially means that they are hired to sue consumers for the debts they owe.
Sessoms & Rogers represents various companies in debt collection matters that operate in different sectors of the
economy, such as credit card companies, auto loan companies, personal loan companies, etc.
More specifically, Sessoms & Rogers collects for:
Absolute Resolutions Investments
Ally Financial
Bank of America
Barclays Bank
FIA Card Services
LVNV Funding
Synchrony Bank
Unifund
These are just some of the clients that Sessoms & Rogers regularly represents in debt collection cases.
Read Sessoms & Rogers reviews online
Looking for info about what other consumers have shared about their debt collection experience with Sessoms &
Rogers? If the answer is yes, then take a moment to check out these real online reviews:
Objectively, the online reviews of Sessoms & Rogers are relatively mixed (i.e., some good, some not so good).
Despite the mixed reviews, it is recommended you take proactive steps to engage with Sessoms & Rogers in an effort
to resolve your debt collection matter. It is quite common for debt collection law firms to be willing to resolve
your debt issue in an amicable manner, such as through a negotiated debt settlement.
Of course, if the idea of calling a debt collector to engage in settlement talks sounds horrifying, then consider
using SoloSettle to negotiate online and resolve your debt through
the digital settlement platform.
Send a debt validation letter to Sessoms and Rogers before they sue
There are a few forms of proof that must be provided by Sessoms and Rogers if they wish to sue you, however, they
are not required to produce this to sue you. Instead, you must ask them to provide proof of:
Your responsibility for the debt
Their legal right to sue you
The specific amount you owe
Requiring a proof of the amount you owe can be one way to defend against a debt collection lawsuit. This might
include showing that the balance was increased when you made purchases or by fees that were in the original credit
agreement. You can request proof of the debt by sending a Debt
Validation Letter to Sessoms and Rogers. Once they receive this letter, Sessoms and Rogers must prove that
the debt is valid before they can continue contacting you about it. In many cases, this letter is enough to stop
Sessoms and Rogers in their tracks.
To learn more about sending a Debt Validation Letter, check out this video:
Negotiating with Sessoms and Rogers to settle your debt
If you know the debt is yours and will need to be repaid, then you can take proactive steps to try and negotiate a
debt settlement. Sessoms and Rogers may be amenable to a settlement for a lesser amount than what is actually owed.
Sessoms and Rogers may also agree not to report your account to credit bureaus once you pay the settlement.
Here are some steps you can take to effectively negotiate a debt settlement with Sessoms and Rogers:
Analyze your current financial situation. Make sure you write down everything you owe,
including the type of debt and the total amount. Go through your monthly budget to determine if you have
sufficient funds to make a reasonable payment toward a settlement. This analysis should take your monthly income
and your expenses (e.g., rent/mortgage, food, savings, etc.) into consideration. Why? Because this calculation
will help you in deciding whether you can realistically make a lump-sum payment if a settlement is agreed upon.
Contact Sessoms and Rogers. Once you have your financial situation figured out, you can contact
Sessoms and Rogers to kick off settlement talks. It's a good idea to start the negotiations with an opening
offer that is lower than the amount you can actually pay toward the debt. This strategy will give you some
flexibility to engage in productive negotiations.
Get the Settlement Terms in Writing. If you have success reaching a debt agreement with Sessoms
and Rogers, make sure to get the terms and provisions in writing. If Sessoms and Rogers drafts the agreement,
read through the document carefully and make sure you understand the terms and conditions. If you have any
questions or concerns about the settlement agreement, be sure to address them with the debt collection law firm.
Make the payment. Once the agreement is in place and signed, make your payment on or before the
agreed-upon date.
Get additional insight into how to effectively settle your debt with Sessoms and Rogers by watching this informative
video:
What to do if you are being sued by Sessoms and Rogers
Respond to the Summons and Complaint
When you are sued for non-payment of debt, you will receive a Summons and Complaint in the mail. One of the most
common mistakes you can make is not responding to that notice. If you believe that the debt is valid but you cannot
pay it, then you may assume that ignoring the notice is the better option. This is not the case.
If you do not respond to the debt collection lawsuit, then you may have a default judgment placed against you. This
will allow the debt collector to garnish your wages and even take money directly out of your bank account to satisfy
the debt. You may also find attorney's fees, court costs, or interest added to the total amount.
Submit an Answer properly
When submitting a legal Answer document to a debt collection lawsuit, you
need to ensure that you avoid admitting any liability for the debt. You should force the creditor to prove that the
debt belongs to you. Here's how to do it.
The Complaint document should include a list of the specific claims against you. In your Answer, you must respond to
each claim with one of the following answers:
Admit: This is like saying, “This is true.”
Deny: This is like saying, “Prove it.”
Deny due to lack of knowledge: This is like saying, “I don't know.”
Once you have submitted your Answer to the court, responding to each claim, you should then ask for a stamped copy
of the Answer from the Clerk of Court and send the stamped copy to the plaintiff via certified mail.
Be sure to file your Answer to the debt lawsuit within the period set by the lawsuit. The deadline to respond to a
debt lawsuit is usually anywhere between 14-35 days from the date on the
notice. It is essential that you answer within this time period or it will be considered the same as not responding
at all.
To learn more about how to draft a winning Answer, check out this video where SoloSuit's CEO and co-founder explains
the most important parts of responding to a debt lawsuit:
Challenge Sessoms and Rogers' right to sue
One way to respond to a debt lawsuit is to challenge Sessoms and Rogers' right to file a lawsuit against you. When a
debt has reached a third-party collector, it may have been sold once, or even multiple times. This can make it
difficult for the third-party collector to prove that they own the debt.
Additionally, sometimes these debts have been purchased for next to nothing due to the fact that they do not have
the proper chain of paperwork. In this situation, Sessoms and Rogers are considered the plaintiff and they must
provide a credit agreement signed by you and proof that the paperwork regarding your debt is accurate and came from
the original creditor. If they cannot provide this, then your case may be dismissed.
Figure out the statute of limitations on debt in your state
The statute of limitations is a set of laws that govern how long creditors can bring a lawsuit to the courts
regarding a debt. Each state has a different time period, but it is usually between four to six years.
One important part of the statute of limitations is that the date it begins is the last date you were active on an
account. This might include making a payment or pulling funds from a loan. By understanding the timeline on the
statute of limitations in your state you can know whether or not you should pay on a debt, and if you can even be
legally sued for the debt in question.
Understand violations of the FDCPA
Debt collectors that violate the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act may be required to pay your legal fees, as well as $1,000 in damages per incident.
Violations of the FDCPA include:
Threats of bodily harm or arrest
Lies
Using profane or obscene language
Any threats to sue if they do not intend to do so
Excessive calls before the hours of 8 am to 9 pm
If you cannot pay your debt
If you are experiencing financial hardship and cannot pay off your debt owed to Sessoms and Rogers, there are a few
options. Settlement is an option where you may be able to agree to pay the debt for less than the total amount owed.
Another option is to enter into a debt management plan. The goal of a debt management plan would be to eventually
pay back the full amount in a series of planned payments.
Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.
If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.
Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.
Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.
Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.
We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.
Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.
Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.
Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.
Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.
Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.
We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.
You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.