Debt Relief in Florida

Credit-card debt in Florida

Florida's average revolving balance — $9,184 per cardholder carrying a balance, according to LendingTree's Q3 2025 analysis — sits roughly $1,300 above the national figure of $7,886. It isn't hard to see why. Homeowners-insurance premiums here have climbed faster than almost anywhere in the country, a large share of residents live on fixed retirement incomes that inflation quietly erodes, and much of the state's tourism-and-service economy pays wages that swing with the season. When a hurricane deductible or a condo assessment lands on a credit card at 22% interest, the balance can outlive the emergency by years. If that describes your statement, the problem isn't discipline — it's math that no longer works in your favor.

What Florida law says about old credit-card debt

For most credit-card lawsuits, Florida creditors get five years from default to sue, because courts usually treat a card agreement as a written contract under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b). There is a wrinkle worth knowing: when a collector can't actually produce the written cardmember agreement, Florida courts have applied the shorter four-year "open account" period in § 95.11(3)(k) instead. Either way, once the window closes the debt becomes time-barred — collectors can still call, and the account can still appear on your credit report, but a judge should dismiss a lawsuit if you raise the limitations defense.

Be careful, though: making even a small payment, or acknowledging the debt in writing, can reset the clock and hand the creditor a brand-new window to sue. And a suit filed while the period is still open can ripen into a judgment that follows you much longer than five years. Before you send a dime toward an account that has been silent for years, understand exactly what that payment does. This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice for your specific situation.

Florida caps what debt-relief companies can charge

Florida doesn't run a licensing program for debt-settlement firms, but that doesn't mean the industry operates unchecked. The state's Credit Counseling Services Act (Fla. Stat. §§ 817.801–817.806) caps what debt-relief providers may charge — a $50 setup maximum, with ongoing fees limited to the lesser of 15% of the monthly payment or $75 per month — and requires client funds to be disbursed within 30 days. Violations are pursued as deceptive trade practices under FDUTPA, Florida's consumer-protection statute. Layer on the federal rule barring telemarketed debt-relief fees before a debt is actually settled, and the takeaway is clear: any company demanding money before delivering a settlement is waving a red flag. Our own model goes further — zero upfront fees and a signed, notarized written guarantee — so nothing is owed until an account has actually been resolved.

How our program works for Florida residents

1. Start with a free 15-minute call. Wherever you are in Florida — a Tampa suburb or a Keys marina — we look at your balances and budget together and give you a straight answer about whether settlement makes sense. When another route (including bankruptcy) is the smarter play, that's what we'll tell you.
2. Let us handle the creditors. Our negotiators, drawing on 15 years of settlements, press each qualifying account toward a reduction — up to 75% in the strongest cases, though every creditor and every file is different.
3. Pay nothing until it's done. There's no enrollment charge and no monthly billing; our fee is earned only when a settlement is actually reached, and the notarized guarantee puts that in writing.

Want the full picture before you call? Walk through what the process looks like month by month, or see how it played out for people we've helped.