due to financial hardships throughout the year, i have neglected to pay one of my creditors which grew to become a sizable debt of $4,500.00. it has gone to collections and acquired by a law firm and has pursued legal action to collect the debt owed. i am enrolled in a debt relief program and was advised not to contact the creditor as they are a debt settlement program that handles all communication to the creditors and cannot assist in legal matters other than making offers of settlement negotiations. i had a court date today to either admit, deny, or contest the claim filed against me. as told, i denied the complaint. i am to appear again at the courthouse on the 24th with the status of this claim lawsuit but do not know how or where to begin with taking control of this legal action as far as negotiating a repayment plan or negotiation settlement. any advice? i prefer not to file bankruptcy as i would like to repair and rebuild my credit as this creditor has made such a derogatory impact on my file which has affected my ability to qualify with any lenders.
