Settlement Negotiations When Paying Ability Is Limited
Legal battles are not always won in the best terms you could hope for. Due to circumstances that come up in the proceedings, you may not be able to justify the payout you want (or need), or your opponent may not be able to pay at all. Instead of dealing with what you can get and leaving the issue alone, consider a few negotiation angles to get compensation that can empower your life when cash isn't a big guarantee.
Push For Payment Plans
It isn't uncommon to run into a legal opponent who can't pay. Whether they're good at hiding their finances or legitimately impoverished, if there's no money to get, you may be out of luck when it comes to lump sums.
Negotiating a payment plan while assessing your legal opponent's financial situation may be in your best interests, especially if you can figure out ways to stabilize the income that is meant to compensate you. If it seems like your opponent is already riddled with bills and unable to make ends meet, let alone your compensation payments, it may be time for you and your legal team to step in. It shouldn't be your responsibility, but it may be a necessary sacrifice to strengthen the compensation guarantee.
If you can find an employer willing to hire your opponent for a job that they can perform with better pay, there's little room for debate. Your opponent has rights and can deny new employment, but if you have a viable economic opportunity that could make the situation better, your opponent will have a harder time dodging financial responsibility.
Is Your Work Life Affected?
If you're unable to work because of an injury or if work becomes more difficult, a low income opponent may not be able to support a speedy road to recovery. Even if the situation seems unfortunate and worthy of pity, that doesn't mean you need to shoulder the burden alone.
Instead of pushing towards insurmountable debt towards your opponent, suggest job training or college education support. Although the college route seems like an expensive option, there are ways around it.
Rather than directly paying for college, your opponent could hire a grant specialist or college scholarship professional to look deeper for funding opportunities. Although anyone can search for the opportunities, professionals have a deeper familiarity with the system and connections with different officials that could get bring you closer to a quality education.
Your opponent pays only the fees associated with the professional and you get the degree opportunity. Such deals can turn an unlikely payment scenario into something that can be worked out over time and more likely to succeed.
Contact a car accident or personal injury lawyer to plan an in-depth defense when the promise of cash compensation isn't so strong. For more information on legal issues, visit http://www.davidharrislaw.com.