What to do if being taken to court for a medial bill?

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What to do if being taken to court for a medial bill?

Will there be a warrant out for my arrest if I don’t have the money to pay?

Asked on August 21, 2010 under Bankruptcy Law, Washington

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 13 years ago | Contributor

Assuming for the moment that you did NOT fraud--that is, that at the time you incurred the bill, you did not do so with no intention of paying it--then no, you should not face arrest. People are not jailed for not paying their bills unless--as mentioned above--they did not pay it because of some otherwise criminal act, such as fraud.

Otherwise, the consequences for not paying (whether on purpose or because of hard times) will be collections actions, negative credit reporting, and possibly a lawsuit. If sued, the creditor may then be able  (if not paid) to garnish wages, put a lien on property, or potentially have some of your property sold to pay the debt.


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