[woutr_be]

I've recently dealt with this over a 8 month period, and it was mentally exhausting. I wish I would’ve just accepted the money to be lost, and let a lawyer deal with it, but instead spend 8 frustrating months trying to deal with it.

In the end I lost far more money than just what my client owed me. For months I couldn’t focus on work, and just wasn’t mentally able to find new clients.

[b112]

I think, even if you pass it over to a small claims process, setting timelines helps here.

For example, send a demand letter with a response time. Typical is to give a couple of weeks or some such.

Then set an alarm in your phone's calendar and drop it from mind.

Treat it as any other deliverable. And if you can do small claims court, even better. Typically no lawyers allowed, amd again, you file and serve, then set a calendar.

[singleshot_]

“No lawyers allowed” isn’t likely to be the case if you sue a corporation or other business association, which by law in my state at least may not be represented by an individual unless that individual is an attorney.

That being said I have not sued a corporation in small claims court so I’m not really sure who would show up.

[woutr_be]

At least for me, the worrying would never stop. Even when I send letters with clear deliverables and timelines, I would just find myself worrying and getting angry over the whole situation.

The only time it stopped was after about 7 months, when we finally signed a settlement agreement. But then it all started again when no payment came in.

I’m not sure how the other party felt about all this, but to be on the receiving end of it all is horrible, and maybe just accepting the money is lost would’ve been better in the end.