Georgetown Law · Admitted in Florida, North Carolina & D.C.
Se habla español (305) 359-7522
KVasquez LawBrickell · Miami
Consultation
20 DaysTo File A Written Response

That is the window after you are served in Florida. Miss it and the collector can take a default judgment without you ever being heard.

Served with a
debt lawsuit?

Debt buyers file in volume across Miami-Dade and Broward and count on one thing above all: that you will not respond. Most people who lose these cases never lose an argument. They simply never file anything.

We file the answer, raise every defense the file supports, demand their proof, and deal with collection counsel so you do not have to. Flat fee, quoted before you hire us.

Call (305) 359-7522 See Flat Fees
Georgetown LawFlorida · North CarolinaSe Habla Español

Free case review

Tell us who sued you and the date you were served. Same business day response.

By submitting this form you agree that KVasquez Law may contact you by telephone, text message or email regarding your inquiry. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not send confidential information until a written engagement agreement is signed.

Answer & Affirmative DefensesFiled inside the deadline, with every defense the file supports.
Wage GarnishmentExemption claims filed on emergency timing.
Frozen Bank AccountsMotions to dissolve a writ of garnishment.
Default JudgmentsReviewed for grounds to vacate, including defective service.
North Carolina MattersDifferent clock, different procedure, same office.
What Happens If You Do Nothing

The summons is not a bill. It is a deadline.

A collection lawsuit is not resolved by ignoring it, and it does not go away when the calls stop. It converts into a judgment, and a judgment carries powers that a debt alone never had.

A default judgment is entered

The court can rule for the collector without ever hearing your side. The judgment accrues interest, remains enforceable in Florida for years, and it follows you.

Your wages can be garnished

With a judgment in hand a creditor can move to take a portion of your paycheck directly from your employer, before the money ever reaches you.

Your bank account can be frozen

A writ of garnishment served on your bank can freeze the account without warning. Most people find out when a card declines, not when paperwork arrives.

From Served To Resolved

What we do, in order.

01

Send Us The Papers

Photograph every page of the summons and complaint, including the date you were handed them. That date starts the clock and determines everything after it.

02

We File Your Answer

Filed inside the deadline with every defense the file supports, and a notice of appearance so collection counsel deals with this office instead of calling you.

03

We Demand Their Proof

Written discovery and document demands. A plaintiff who bought your account must produce the agreement, the payment history and an unbroken chain of assignment.

04

We Resolve It

Dismissal, negotiated resolution or trial, depending on what the record supports. Where terms are agreed they go in writing before a dollar moves.

Many collection matters are resolved without a contested trial. Every case is different, and no lawyer can promise a particular result in any matter.

Why These Cases Turn

They bought a spreadsheet, not a file.

Consumer debt is sold in bulk. What arrives with the account is rarely the signed agreement and a complete payment history, which is exactly what a court requires. A filed answer forces that question to be asked.

Your Defenses

Owing money and being proven to owe it are two different questions.

Purchased consumer debt arrives in bulk spreadsheets, not in files. That is where these cases are won or lost, and it is why filing a response changes the posture immediately.

Standing

A debt buyer must prove it actually owns your specific account. Portfolios are sold and resold, and the assignment chain frequently has gaps or missing bills of sale.

Statute of Limitations

Florida sets a deadline for filing suit on a debt. Time-barred accounts are still filed regularly, and the defense is waived if nobody raises it.

Account Documentation

The plaintiff should produce the underlying agreement and a complete payment history. Frequently it holds a summary screen and nothing behind it.

Amount Claimed

Balances routinely include post-charge-off interest and fees that the original agreement or applicable law does not support.

Identity & Mistaken Account

Wrong defendant, similar name, or an account opened in your name without authorization. More common than most people expect.

Defective Service

If you were never properly served, a judgment already entered may be subject to being set aside. How you were served is one of the first things we check.

Collection Conduct

Federal and Florida law regulate how debts are collected. Conduct that crosses those lines can give rise to counterclaims rather than just defenses.

Exempt Income

Florida exempts certain income from garnishment, including the wages of a qualifying head of family and several federal benefit categories.

What It Costs

Flat fees, quoted before you hire us.

No hourly billing, no open meter, and no retainer that quietly runs out mid-case. You know the number before you decide.

Answer & Defenses

You need the deadline met and the case properly opened.

$1,500
Flat Fee
  • Complaint and service reviewed
  • Written answer and affirmative defenses filed
  • Notice of appearance as your attorney
  • Collection counsel routed to this office
Start Here
Most Retained

Full Defense

You want the case handled from the summons through to the end.

$3,000
Flat, Through Resolution
  • Everything in Answer & Defenses
  • Written discovery and document demands
  • Motion practice where the record supports it
  • Negotiation with collection counsel
  • Resolution documented in writing
Start Here

Garnishment & Judgment

Wages are already being taken, or a judgment was entered without you.

$2,500
Flat Fee
  • Emergency review, same day
  • Claim of exemption where grounds exist
  • Motion to dissolve a writ of garnishment
  • Motion to vacate a default judgment
Start Here

Court filing fees, service of process and mediation costs are separate from the flat fee and are disclosed in writing before engagement. Payment plans are available.

Who Is On Your Paperwork

Look at the top of the first page.

If one of these names appears as plaintiff, the case was almost certainly filed by a debt buyer or a high-volume collection firm. Those cases have specific documentary weak points, and they are the ones we go after first.

Midland FundingMidland Credit ManagementPortfolio Recovery AssociatesLVNV Funding Cavalry SPVJefferson Capital SystemsCrown Asset ManagementVelocity Investments Resurgent Capital ServicesUnifund CCRAbsolute ResolutionsDiscover Bank Capital OneSynchrony BankAmerican ExpressCitibank

Your plaintiff is not listed? Send the first page anyway. This list is not exhaustive and new entities appear constantly.

What Clients Say

In their words.

★★★★★
“Served on a Thursday. The answer was filed the following Tuesday, well inside the twenty days. I never had to speak to the collection firm once.”
Debt Defense Client
Hialeah, FL
★★★★★
“They sued me for an account I did not recognize. She demanded the assignment chain and the account documentation, and they could not produce it. I am glad I did not just ignore the summons.”
Collection Defense Client
Miami, FL
★★★★★
“Wages were already being garnished when I called. She filed the exemption claim the same day and walked me through exactly what would happen at each step.”
Garnishment Client
Miami-Dade County, FL
★★★★★
“A judgment I never knew existed, entered on service I never received. She moved to set it aside and explained the standard honestly rather than promising me an outcome.”
Default Judgment Client
Doral, FL
★★★★★
“Me demandaron y no entendia nada del papeleo. Ella me explico todo en espanol, respondio a tiempo, y por primera vez sentí que alguien estaba de mi lado.”
Cliente de Defensa de Deudas
Miami, FL
★★★★★
“The daily MCA debits were killing the business. She addressed the confession of judgment and the reconciliation demand together instead of treating them as separate problems.”
Business Debt Client
Brickell, Miami

Reviews reflect the experience of individual clients and are used with permission. They are not a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of any other matter.

Questions We Get Every Week

Answered plainly.

How long do I really have to respond?

In Florida county and circuit court a defendant generally has 20 days from the date of service to file a written response. Small claims cases run on a different track and set a pretrial conference date instead. Treat the day you were handed the papers as day one.

I think I actually owe the money. Is there any point in fighting?

Owing a balance and the plaintiff being able to prove its case in court are two separate questions. Debt sold repeatedly often arrives with gaps in the assignment chain and without a complete account history. Even where the debt is valid, filing a response preserves your ability to negotiate rather than having terms imposed by default.

Will I have to go to court?

Often no. Many collection matters resolve through motion practice and negotiation between counsel. Where an appearance is required the firm appears with you. No outcome can be guaranteed in any case.

A judgment was already entered against me. Is it too late?

Not necessarily. Florida procedure allows a court to set aside a default judgment in defined circumstances, including where service was defective or excusable neglect can be shown. Timing matters a great deal.

My wages are already being garnished.

Florida law exempts certain income from garnishment, including the wages of a qualifying head of family, along with Social Security and other categories. Claiming an exemption requires a filing with the court within a short window after notice.

I was sued in North Carolina, not Florida.

The firm handles collection defense in North Carolina as well. The response deadline and procedure differ from Florida, so identify the state of filing on the first call.

Will this ruin my credit?

The account is typically already reported by the time suit is filed. What a judgment adds is enforcement power, meaning garnishment and levy. Resolving the case on documented terms generally puts you in a better position than a judgment entered by default.

Schedule Directly

Pick a time that works.

Consultations are held by telephone, by video, or in person at the Brickell office by appointment. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Scheduling a consultation does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential details in the booking notes.

The Deadline Does Not Move

If you were served this week, call today.

A short conversation now costs nothing. A default judgment later costs a percentage of every paycheck until it is satisfied. There is no version of waiting that improves your position.

(305) 359-7522

1200 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1950, Miami, Florida 33131
By appointment only · legal@kvasquezlaw.com

Bring This To The Call
  • The first page of the summons, showing the plaintiff name
  • The date you were handed the papers
  • The case number, printed at the top of the complaint
  • Any letters you received before the lawsuit
  • Whether wages or an account have already been affected

If you do not have all of it, call anyway. The date of service is the only piece that cannot wait.

Free case review

We respond the same business day.

By submitting this form you agree that KVasquez Law may contact you by telephone, text message or email regarding your inquiry. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not send confidential information until a written engagement agreement is signed.

Telephone, Text Message & Email Communications

By providing a telephone number to KVasquez Law, you consent to receive telephone calls and text messages at that number from the firm regarding your inquiry or matter, including messages delivered using automated technology. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of retaining the firm or of any purchase.

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to any message to opt out of text messages, or HELP for assistance. Opting out of text messages does not opt you out of telephone calls or email regarding your matter.

Text messages and email are not secure and are not confidential. Do not transmit sensitive, privileged or confidential information by text message. Communications with the firm do not create an attorney-client relationship, which is formed only upon a written engagement agreement signed by both the client and the firm.

Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent are not shared with any third party. The Brickell office is by appointment only.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES: KVasquez Law is a Florida professional limited liability company providing legal services in Florida, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. Karina Vasquez, Esq. is admitted to practice in those jurisdictions. The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by visiting this website, submitting a contact form, or sending an email. An attorney-client relationship is established only upon a written engagement agreement signed by both the firm and the client. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The firm is by appointment only. Karina Vasquez's affiliations with Forman Capital Partners (Partner), an unnamed private equity firm (General Counsel), and Avanti Way Realty (licensed REALTOR®) are separate business activities and are independent from her practice of law. For full disclosures, see Disclosures. © 2026 KVasquez Law.