If you are comparing tools to respond to a debt lawsuit, here is exactly how we are built differently, and why most of what matters here is free.
| ARBITRATE | Typical answer services | |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to the lawsuit | Free. Build a state-specific Answer you review and file. | Commonly $67 to $247 just for the Answer. |
| The arbitration move | Built in. Free tool to build a Motion to Compel Arbitration, the move that can make a debt buyer walk away. | Not offered. Most never mention it. |
| Knowing what to do next | Free case tracker. Enter your served date, see your estimated deadline, and always see the one next step. | Fill the form, then you are on your own. |
| Settling the debt | Free guidance to negotiate it yourself. | Some charge up to 19% of your debt to negotiate for you. |
| Who it is built for | Only credit card debt lawsuits. Deep, not broad. | Generic legal documents for everything. |
| Language | Full Spanish site and tools. | Usually English only. |
| What we are | Educational self-help. We tell you the truth, including when a lawyer is worth it. | A paid form filler. |
More than 70 percent of debt lawsuits end in a default judgment for one reason: the person never answered. Charging someone just to respond puts a price on the single most important thing they can do. So we do not. The Answer tool is free, the roadmap is free, the case tracker is free.
Many credit card agreements contain an arbitration clause. If yours does, you may be able to move the case out of court and into private arbitration, where under the rules the company usually pays most of the fees. For a debt buyer who bought your account for pennies on the dollar, that changes the math completely. It is the move most people are never told about, and it is built into ARBITRATE for free.
Settlement is where a lot of services quietly take a cut, sometimes a big percentage of the debt. There is a place for professional help, and if your case is complex a licensed attorney is worth it. But for most people, negotiating a debt settlement is something you can learn to do yourself, and we show you how at no cost.
Start free: respond to your lawsuit → See the full step-by-step roadmap Track your case and your deadline