Q: I am a consulting engineer and have a client with a nearly 40000 debt. We have a contract but he isn't paying. Input?
This person has paid about 40% of multiple other invoices over multiple years of off and on consulting from 2016-2019. His payments became less frequent and consistent. He repeatedly promises to pay then does not. This debt is under a contract and is now about two years old. I have attempted negotiations and he is not in my opinion of good faith. He has definitely now paid other people since my debt but recently has been taken to court a few times for failure to pay. It is a small company started in 2014. I am not sure what is the best course of action. I feel it may be time to have a discussion with a legal professional. It is a little complicated how he ended up with such a large debt to me. This is not my usual business practice. He has repeatedly promised to pay soon or 'next month' or that money is coming in soon but has not come through. He now has a CFO who after initially working on 'processing' the invoices became hostile unexpectedly when I asked a few simple questions.
A: You need to decide, right now, if this justifies the expense of hiring a lawyer. Time is your enemy. The longer you wait you might lose the right to sue. Go see a lawyer or 2 and see what you will need to spend, and discuss whether a judgment in your favor will be collectable.
Gerald Barry Dorfman agrees with this answer
1 user found this answer helpful
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