Collecting debt in Texas can sometimes be done with nothing more than a good lawyer's letterhead.

The client sold a large industrial sized printer to a customer that was in the direct mail business. The invoice (which approached six figures) was due in 30 days but when we met with the client the customer was 60 days late and not returning anybody's phone calls. The client was in a panic as he had to pay the supplier of the equipment and was now delinquent since he did not have the money to pay for the equipment unless his customer first paid him.

We sent a demand letter on Monday and by Friday we had received a check that paid the invoice in full. Needless to say, the client was ecstatic.

It does not always go this well.  But sometimes, our letterhead is like magic.

The client can only do so much.  They are not lawyers and their deadbeat customers have completely tuned them out.  But sometimes, when a new voice comes along that can also create economic havoc by filing suit, then the deadbeat customer realizes the smart choice is just to pay the bill.

The most important fact in this story is this: the client came to see us early.  Debt is far more collectible when it is pursued early on.  Waiting four, five, six or more months makes our job much more difficult as the average debtor actually seems to believe that they don't owe the money simply because of the age of the debt.