"Bread & Butter Cases"

Once you have been in this profession for a time, you will find there are certain creditors that file numerous cases in your area on a regular basis. In my area there are about 4 or 5 of these repeat offenders.

I always know from the start exactly what to expect from the attorneys that represent these creditors. And, since they have dealt with me on many cases over the years, we are on a friendly (although professional) first name basis.

Two of these 4 or 5 repeat offenders are very stringent with their settlement guidelines and rarely make any exceptions on terms. I refer to these cases as my "Bread & Butter Cases" because I only charge a minimum flat fee of $350 to $450 for each settlement depending on the size of the debt (these debts usually run from $5,000 to $10,000). They require very little time or effort and I can easily handle several each week without detracting from my other case load.

Be assured, I ALWAYS save my client much more than my fee. But knowing the creditor will not give up much of a discount and knowing I will not need to spend much time in negotiations, the fee is fair.

Once you have spent some time working various cases, you will likely encounter the same situation. I encourage you not to set your fee too high when you work cases that do not allow for substantial discounts for your client. You will easily make up for any perceived fee shortages by the shear volume of cases!

Scott F. Soape