Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Washington

Re: payment of a debt

A lien works when your brother owns real property and you have performed a service.

When you have an agreement re money, what you want is a judgment so you can execute on that judgment.

Take a look at www.avvo.com for a local attorney who does collections. The attorney's bills can be added on to the judgment you are awarded if and when the court agrees with you.

Sensible attorneys are not going to write letters for a fee. If an attorney is going to run a case, he or she is in it for the long haul. They choose how to proceed based on the facts. A letter might work, but frankly, if your brother thinks you are going to forget about this debt, you may do just as well to alert him by serving him with a summons and complaint as a letter.

If the amount is less than $4K, think about small claims.

Hope this helps. Elizabeth Powell