Investigation:  Think of Investigation like a background check.  We need to know where the debtor lives, with whom he or she resides and any other pertinent facts that may help in the acquisition of your money.  We begin our search the most cost-efficient methods, such as checking databases of public information like driver's licenses, deeds, telephone records, car registrations, marriage licenses, etc.  Some cases, however, are not that simple and warrant the use of various investigators; not to worry though, we are careful to analyze each situation individually to be certain that the added expense is necessary.

Post-Judgment Deposition:  At this point, we generally question the debtor and some times the debtor's spouse, employer, or any other person who may be able to give us insight on the situation.  At the deposition we will also request specific documents that the debtor must produce.

Abstract:  An abstract codifies the judgment that you received in court.  An abstract is always filed immediately after obtaining the judgment in the county where the defendant lives or where we know he owns property.  A short time later, we will file an abstract in every county that we think that there is a potential for acquiring property.  Generally, an abstract is filed in the counties with known relatives or close friends.  This insures that a debtor cannot "come into money" without us being alerted.

Writ of Execution:  This is an order of the Court to any constable in the state of Texas ordering him to execute (collect) on any non-exempt assets.  For a general description of those assets that are exempt from execution, click here.

Writ of Garnishment: A Writ of Garnishment is essentially an order from the Court to any third party to relinquish any properties of the debtor over to the court.  Nevertheless, there can be some unforeseen obstacles with this method, so we should have a serious discussion about your particular situation before jumping in.

Turnover Proceedings:  Turnover Proceedings are and extreme measure taken by us where we ask the court to order the debtor to "turnover" specific assets.  Due to the acute and costly nature, these proceedings are usually reserved for larger cases.