What to do if I am a virtual assistant and have a client overseas in Ireland who completely stopped paying me for my services?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if I am a virtual assistant and have a client overseas in Ireland who completely stopped paying me for my services?
The client signed a contract to pay me $400/week for 25 hours of work and if they ever wanted to cancel my services, I would need 30 days written notice. I have continued to send emails to the client and let him know that he is in violation of his contract and I will seek legal action in several emails. He states that I am threatening him by sending him these emails and that he is actually going to seek legal action against me. When I ask him how I have threatened him, he states it’s basically because I keep saying I will seek legal action since he has failed to pay or uphold the terms of his contract. Does he have a case?
Asked on July 6, 2015 under Business Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
In U.S. law he would not have a case: it is not an illegal or actionable threat to tell someone against whom you would reasonably seem to have a valid case that you will take legal action. You are permitted to tell people that you will do something which you have the right to do, and if someone breached their contract with you, you have the right to sue. Irish law is not U.S. law, but it is similar--U.S. law is derived from UK (British) law, after all; that's where we got our common law, the basis of our contemporary law, from. It is therefore very unlikely that he would have a case against you under Irish law.
Bear in mind that you don't have a good case, either: legally, you are in the right, but suing someone in a different country--and collecting from them if you do win--is very difficult and can be very expensive. It is unlikely that you can sue, win, and collect on a cost-effective, financially worthwhile basis.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.